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
Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 19 July 2025
Smith did not make any sudden jerks or movements as he was killed, the witnesses reported.
—Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Abhirup Roy, USA Today, 27 June 2025
And yes, her name does sound like jerk off, and yes, the show explicitly points this out instead of just trusting its audience.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for jerk
Noun
Mid-performance, the prop jerks downward after slipping from its wire, causing a drop that nearly unseats her.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 19 July 2025
Smith did not make any sudden jerks or movements as he was killed, the witnesses reported.
—Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Verb
The passenger jerked forward and their belongings were thrown to the floor.
—Abhirup Roy, USA Today, 27 June 2025
And yes, her name does sound like jerk off, and yes, the show explicitly points this out instead of just trusting its audience.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for jerk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerk
Noun
-
Meanwhile, Japan's Defense Ministry reported recent Russian naval movements around the country, where a formation of three vessels—a submarine, a frigate, and a rescue tug—was spotted passing through the Tsushima Strait between Wednesday and Thursday, local time.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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Images from Japanese public broadcaster NHK showed tugs spraying water on the front of the New Orleans.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Sinner’s serve yanked him out to the left corner of the court.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
-
Rafael Devers came up next and yanked an 0-1 fastball up in the zone over the wall in right-center field.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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And according to researchers at the University of British Columbia, the part of the brainstem involved in the control of sleep cycles is underdeveloped in puppies, leading them to act out their dreams with twitching and growling more often.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
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Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.—
Emma R. Hasson,
Scientific American,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
In Ghana, the impact of rapid urbanization is shaking once-rural localities.—
Taeya Boi-Doku,
JSTOR Daily,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Structure information summary Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Responding officers found the dog, and advised the owner to take the dog in.—
cleveland,
cleveland,
13 Sep. 2023
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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
Noun
-
They aren’t constrained by attention spans or the pull of conformity.—
Neeraj Gulati,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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Architect and San Diego native Mark Silva couldn’t resist the pull.—
Jen Murphy,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Weather experts on the Leeward Islands — which include the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Bahamas — were keeping close watch midweek as Erin lurched toward the Caribbean.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
13 Aug. 2025
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At about a thousand feet, Earhart took over, and the plane immediately began lurching and wobbling.—
Laurie Gwen Shapiro,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Verb
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From there, Young tossed an accurate ball to Sanders for a would-be first down and it was dropped by the second-year tight end, who has put together an otherwise excellent camp.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Aug. 2025
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Teams of two will compete by tossing bacon from skillet to skillet.—
Andy Humbles,
The Tennessean,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jerk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerk. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.
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