1
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
his constant rudeness and insensitivity made everyone think he was a real jerk
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
1
as in to yank
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
2
as in to twitch
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 to shake
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
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Recent Examples of jerk
Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Trump calls Bruce Springsteen 'obnoxious jerk' after singer voiced criticism at concert
The moment ignited a back-and-forth between an icon of American rock and the president.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025
Earthquakes cause the ground to move in unpredictable ways, sometimes sharply jerking, other times swaying like a ship in rough seas.
—Maya Wei-Haas, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jerk
Noun
So there is this tradition of the bumbling jerk in a way, that is also a hero in some respect, some of that is just the nature of narrative.
—Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Trump calls Bruce Springsteen 'obnoxious jerk' after singer voiced criticism at concert
The moment ignited a back-and-forth between an icon of American rock and the president.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Verb
Just a normal night, losing his virginity to an LBH’s professional girlfriend and jerking off his big brother, followed by waking up naked beside said brother, who is also naked, without a woman in sight.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2025
Earthquakes cause the ground to move in unpredictable ways, sometimes sharply jerking, other times swaying like a ship in rough seas.
—Maya Wei-Haas, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jerk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerk
Noun
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Marine Group officials wanted to demonstrate that converting similarly sized tugs from diesel to electric can be replicated by other companies, such as excursion boats and dinner cruises.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 June 2025
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That, in turn, scuttled the main objective of the mission — having the Otter rendezvous with the Launcher tug down the road.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
21 May 2025
Verb
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Even though waxing is tolerable, having a numbing cream applied over the hair and skin about 20 minutes before the wax is applied is supposed to help manage the discomfort of having the wax yanked off.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
3 June 2025
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Ventura’s stylist and friend, Deonte Nash, recalled a pushy Combs yanking Ventura away from her 29th birthday celebration in 2015.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
1 June 2025
Verb
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The early symptoms include muscle weakness, cramps, twitching, stiff muscles, speech challenges, trouble swallowing, and drooling.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
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Camouflaged among desert rocks, the deadly illusionist extends its spider-like tail into the open and twitches it to summon hungry insect-eating birds.—
Ryley Graham,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Carnal, with care – Jis shook the bedrock of the cordial, conservative Guadalajara community with filth, camp and candor.—
Holly Jones,
Variety,
9 June 2025
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Some shook their legs nervously, others gave death glares to folks with the misfortune of sitting on creaky chairs.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
8 June 2025
Noun
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Police brought in hundreds of law enforcement personnel with dogs, armored carriers, horses and helicopters that circled overhead.—
Maryclaire Dale, Marc Levy and Michael Rubinkam,
Anchorage Daily News,
13 Sep. 2023
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The couple was seen taking a stroll on a N.Y.C. street with Bosworth's dog, Happy, on Tuesday.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
Peoplemag,
13 Sep. 2023
Noun
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How to Pick a Hardware Color If choosing colorful knobs and pulls, Stephenson says her first move is to eliminate disliked colors.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 June 2025
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Considering their pull with the UFC and PFL, could a superfight even happen?—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Growing panicky, the animal lurched wildly, lost its footing altogether, and fell back toward me and my horse.—
Jim Carmichel,
Outdoor Life,
5 June 2025
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Thereafter, plans for the cemetery lurched back to the Great Park but never successfully held on to momentum.—
Jonathan Horwitz,
Oc Register,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Another tossed a traffic cone into the vehicle’s windshield, damaging it.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
5 June 2025
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Winner: Lenovo Legion Go S Tech Specs: Upscaling Is the Secret Sauce Gaming handhelds have to do it all—support the latest and greatest games while maintaining a form factor that can be tossed into your bookbag.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerk. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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