1
as in yanking
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
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2
as in twitching
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 shaking
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 jerking
Tony Fauci was not just jerking the country around.
—
David Blumenthal, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
The clip on TikTok shows the seat jerking abruptly, apparently from forceful pushes by the person seated behind her.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026
But then her limbs started jerking.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Avoid jerking your torso up and down during bent-over rows or swinging your arms during front, lateral, and rear raises.
—Jenessa Connor, Health, 11 Mar. 2026
Giddey stopped, the ball cradled in his palm, shouting while jerking his hand in the rough direction of his intended pass.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
Video of the collision shows the train jerking from side-to-side.
—Sara Gregory, AJC.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Merchants are aware that prices of metals could backtrack or keep jerking upward.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
The room sighs in relief a second later when Buckley reanimates, jerking and flailing like a soul possessed, grinning maniacally — all on purpose, inspired by the earlier veil snafu.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
David Blumenthal, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
The clip on TikTok shows the seat jerking abruptly, apparently from forceful pushes by the person seated behind her.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026
But then her limbs started jerking.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Avoid jerking your torso up and down during bent-over rows or swinging your arms during front, lateral, and rear raises.
—Jenessa Connor, Health, 11 Mar. 2026
Giddey stopped, the ball cradled in his palm, shouting while jerking his hand in the rough direction of his intended pass.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
Video of the collision shows the train jerking from side-to-side.
—Sara Gregory, AJC.com, 26 Feb. 2026
Merchants are aware that prices of metals could backtrack or keep jerking upward.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
The room sighs in relief a second later when Buckley reanimates, jerking and flailing like a soul possessed, grinning maniacally — all on purpose, inspired by the earlier veil snafu.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerking
Verb
-
In other words, eliminating them from the animal kingdom would be like yanking an entire tier of Jenga blocks out of the middle of the tower.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The body-camera footage shows Exum yanking the wheel left, toward the Rogue, then right.—
Ruby Cramer,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Curry’s body began convulsing and twitching with increasing severity, consistent with him sustaining a traumatic brain injury from being punched in the face, documents state.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Afternoon Ben Thanh Market is Hồ Chí Minh’s biggest market – a vast maze of 1,500 stalls selling everything from still-twitching fish to electronics and souvenirs.—
Tamara Hinson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Structure information summary Most structures in this region are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The fine powder is very messy to work with, however, so simply shaking it onto your chain wouldn't be practical.—
Ben Coxworth
March 27,
New Atlas,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Then, as the pandemic waned, in 2023 and early ’24, came two jolts to the system – federal pandemic-era assistance ended, pulling food and food-related funding away from charities, and the number of people seeking food continued to grow.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
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The trio rebuild the tower and Guerrero goes up again, pulling the line for about four minutes more before the group takes down the tower, wheels the cart away from the window and walks away.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Minimal but purposeful movement, avoiding fidgeting or excessive gestures, shows intention.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Cole, wearing a khaki jumpsuit, spent much of the hearing sitting quietly and attentively as the parties argued, occasionally adjusting his glasses or fidgeting slightly in his chair.—
Gary Grumbach,
NBC news,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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That all came to a shuddering halt after Khashoggi’s death.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Sat shuddering in my seat as the lights drew down.—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Still, morale is much worse compared with December 2024, before DOGE took aim at the health agency's budgets and staffing, and before rounds of lurching job cuts and reinstatements left thousands of CDC workers in limbo or severed from their careers.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
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There are plenty of differences, but the stability Atleti have fostered in sticking with Simeone stands in stark contrast to Spurs’ habit of lurching between managers, styles and approaches.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Cook, tossing occasionally, until bright green and blistered in some spots, but still crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.—
Molly Baz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
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Cook, tossing often, until celery is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.—
Gretchen McKay,
Twin Cities,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jerking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerking. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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