1
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
2
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
3
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
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Recent Examples of jerked
Aisha jerked and opened her eyes.
—
Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 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
Allen, who is 6 foot 5 and 237 pounds, jerked his head back in an effort to draw a roughing penalty on Bolton.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
Travis jerked open the door and slid on his butt down a wing that was on fire.
—Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
The president starts out by making a visit to Liberty Arena to play basketball with some school children, then gets jerked away when the crisis happens.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
If Hall jerked too violently, let alone tried to run, the wire would pull the trigger, firing the shotgun Kiritsis had pointed at the back of Hall’s head.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 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
Allen, who is 6 foot 5 and 237 pounds, jerked his head back in an effort to draw a roughing penalty on Bolton.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
Travis jerked open the door and slid on his butt down a wing that was on fire.
—Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
The president starts out by making a visit to Liberty Arena to play basketball with some school children, then gets jerked away when the crisis happens.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
If Hall jerked too violently, let alone tried to run, the wire would pull the trigger, firing the shotgun Kiritsis had pointed at the back of Hall’s head.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerked
Verb
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The gloves were off and the two were grappling at each other’s jerseys for position when Crinon grabbed Wilson by the sweater and yanked him to the ice, effectively ending the fight.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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The National Institutes of Health, part of HHS, also yanked dozens of research grants supporting studies of vaccine hesitancy last year.—
Amanda Seitz,
NPR,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Through the scope, a polar bear twitched on the ice, 25 yards in front of me.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Baby Briana’s arms twitched and legs flopped against cold concrete.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Knight shook her head and reiterated that this was indeed her final Olympic game.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Their deaths shook this state and the nation.—
Kenety S. Gee,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The big polar bear lurched forward, hitting top speed in two strides.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
-
As Matt Woosnam reflected recently, the Premier League’s feel-good story has lurched into night terrors.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But in other court districts where cases are further along, many have been tossed by judges or resulted in acquittals.—
Isabelle Chapman,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Those are just a few of the clever software-as-a-service portmanteaus being tossed around as investors debate a massive selloff in the sector that has vaporized roughly $1 trillion in valuations from recent highs, with more than $285 billion in market value wiped out in February alone.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Karen Powers shuddered at what the adjuster said next, Shaun Powers said.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Her body shuddered in a wave of tremors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
So far, six have been pulled to safety.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Sakamoto plans to retire after the Olympics, but will leave the sport in good hands with her teammate and new talent Nakai, who landed a triple axel that pulled her into first.—
Alice Park,
Time,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Children fidgeted in the relentless August heat.—
Jacqui Gifford,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jerked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerked. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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