JERKED Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

jerked

verb

past tense of jerk

as in yanked

to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion I jerked to one side to avoid getting hit jerked the leash to get the dog's attention

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in twitched

to make jerky or restless movements you've got to quit jerking, or the barber will nick you by accident

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in shook

to make a series of small irregular or violent movements the car jerked with every shift of the gear

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of jerked Once the squid gather near the surface, lines fitted with bait are lowered into the water and rapidly jerked up and down to imitate small prey such as shrimp, triggering strikes before the catch is reeled aboard. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 20 June 2026 Suddenly, the tent jerked and wobbled. — Dolores Brown, Outdoor Life, 17 June 2026 In the summer of 2020, former Morgan Stanley trader Adam Crawley was wandering through Indonesia, Thailand and Australia, perfecting his qigong with a man called Master YanG, when a cold message on LinkedIn jerked him back to reality. — Phoebe Liu, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 John jerked Maggie back by the elbow and stopped her from stepping into the street. — Literary Hub, 8 May 2026 My empty paper bowl jerked along the belt, stopping under each funnel. — Billy Perrigo, Time, 8 May 2026 The plane jerked to a stop as two trucks passed just feet in front of its nose. — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026 We are jerked between past and present as his backstory gets filled in, one jogged memory at a time. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026 The two stood nose-to-nose on the field when the Steelers player grabbed onto Chase’s facemask, jerked his head and appeared to punch him. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 16 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerked

Verb

Then we’re yanked into Louis’s hazy POV, from which Armand is reading another one of his apology letters.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 2026
However, their anti-tank and anti-air systems failed to make a decisive difference after the Shah of Iran suddenly yanked out Iran’s decisive support from under them and cut a deal with Baghdad, crushing Kurdish morale in the process.

— Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of yanked

Verb

Many a club’s board would have twitched in the face of the bare data, but the chain of command above Arteta stayed the course, and the FOMO is so high that tickets for Palace away this weekend are going for £45,000 ($60,000) on resale sites.

— Phil Hay, New York Times, 21 May 2026
My jaw twitched uncontrollably.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 May 2026

Definition of twitched

Verb

There was some pink smoke at the start of the match from pyrotechnics, but the air eventually cleared as the action heated up and players from both teams shook off the rust from the long layoff.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
After a while Bill came out, shook my hand and beckoned me over to his Capri to take me for my medical down near the docks.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026

Definition of shook

Verb

For example, New York endured weather whiplash on July 18 as the city lurched from a heat wave and smoke pollution from Canadian wildfires to flash flooding from slow-moving thunderstorms that dumped a few inches of rain in a short period of time.

— Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
There are vivid characters—the rich, distinguished crook Brandon, the platinum-blond secretary Miss Vermilyea; Javonen, ex-military intelligence, and seedy private eye from Kansas, Noble, who might have lurched out of an early Graham Greene story.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026

Definition of lurched

Verb

Hitter of the Year Sami Williams’ bat was silenced at the hands of the Talons’ aces — Georgina Corrick also tossed a complete-game gem in Game 1 — going hitless in Chicago’s revenge effort.

— Molly Keshin, New York Times, 26 July 2026
Money has started to enter into the equation with high school athletes, players cannot only legally accept NIL deals at the prep level, but there is also money being tossed around illegally, as athletes are enticed to transfer to certain schools.

— Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2026

Definition of tossed

Verb

He was pulled after giving up back-to-back hits with one out in the fourth to put runners on the corners.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026
The Thunder successfully pulled this off with both Joe and Wiggins, inking both to below-market contracts two summers ago.

— Fred Katz, New York Times, 24 July 2026

Definition of pulled

Verb

One woman ordered some home furniture while two children fidgeted nearby.

— David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Between each dance was an excruciating silence during which network-TV producers monitored and reset their equipment while the men fidgeted onstage like excitable children.

— Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026