1
as in rough
marked by a series of sharp quick motions
made jerky progress walking with the new crutches
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stupid
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
he's acting jerky just to get people's attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 jerky
Instead, think about it more like a slow dance—no jerky movements, no wrapping the fabric around your hand, no scrubbing.
—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 19 Dec. 2025
Turkey jerky has one of the highest protein contents of jerky products, packing 26 grams of protein per 2-ounce serving.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 20 Nov. 2025
Once sharks are processed into fillets or jerky, visual identification is nearly impossible, leaving loopholes in trade restrictions.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Customers will be able to find thousands of snack, meal and drink options, including homemade fudge, Beaver Nuggets, jerky and fresh pastries, when the location opens.
—Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for jerky
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 19 Dec. 2025
Turkey jerky has one of the highest protein contents of jerky products, packing 26 grams of protein per 2-ounce serving.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 20 Nov. 2025
Once sharks are processed into fillets or jerky, visual identification is nearly impossible, leaving loopholes in trade restrictions.
—Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Customers will be able to find thousands of snack, meal and drink options, including homemade fudge, Beaver Nuggets, jerky and fresh pastries, when the location opens.
—Dina Kaur, AZCentral.com, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for jerky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerky
Adjective
-
Based on the novel by Bart Baker, Honeymoon with Harry follows a rough-around-the-edges man (Gyllenhaal) who ends up sharing an unwanted journey with his fiancée’s prickly, overprotective father (Costner) after a life-altering turn upends their plans.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Nivea’s Intense Healing formula takes a richer approach, focusing on long-lasting moisture that can soften rough areas like knees, elbows, and heels.—
Hana Hong,
Glamour,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The American people are not stupid and will not accept more failure theater from Republicans in Congress.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The American people are not stupid and will not accept more failure theater from Republicans in Congress.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Everything—from the squat, one-story structure to the station wagon parked outside—had been coated in the same uneven layer of white paint, as if someone had tried, hurriedly, to erase it from the landscape.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
-
However, adoption remains uneven across sectors, reflecting differences in digital readiness and creating varied credit implications.—
Lee Ying Shan,Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In retaliation, Afroman released several songs about the experience, made music videos using his security-cam footage, and generally was a silly goose about the whole thing.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
-
This confident Yale Rep production follows Ionesco’s lead by being very clear about its point but relentlessly silly while making it.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Gold has been one of the better-performing assets over the past year, and when markets get choppy, leveraged funds and institutional investors tend to reduce exposure.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The water in Tomales Bay, a narrow inlet northeast of Point Reyes, was choppy Saturday, with swells as high as 3 feet, the sheriff’s statement said.—
Alyce McFadden,
San Francisco Chronicle,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Your fast response and decisive actions prevented this foolish criminal act from endangering the rest of the county.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The limited series feels equally foolish, down to its last line of narration.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The first six years of the Black Crowes were insane to process.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2026
-
An optimist and networker with Harpo Marx hair, he was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2023 for helping invent the HTTPS encryption system and was among the first to take AI seriously, back when AI seemed even more insane.—
Joe Hagan,
Vanity Fair,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
As often happens with Furze’s inventions, one wonders whether this goes beyond a mad backyard YouTube experiment.—
Omar Kardoudi
March 22,
New Atlas,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The book is mad, and all the madder for being unsmilingly sincere.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerky. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
