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
Relevance
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
To that point, Olympia shouldn’t be allowed to play the jury the tear-jerking recording of Frank’s final phone call home as the water rose.
—
Noel Murray, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
The Surprise Lining The most tear-jerking moment, however, was kept secret until the very last minute.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Sounds like the plot of a tear-jerking movie, no?
—David Oliver, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
With an epic Oscar-winning title song by Streisand and tear-jerking scenes aplenty, this film is a perennial favorite and often referred to in pop culture.
—Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
One video posted to the social platform X appeared to show Kirk addressing the students, at one point speaking about gang violence, before being struck near the neck and later jerking to his left side.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 10 Sep. 2025
The story follows a Jewish family across five generations, from childhood to adulthood, blending laughs and tear-jerking moments, just like in Bob-Waksberg’s other shows.
—Braedon Montgomery, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Tear-jerking purple prose designed to make a Baby Boomer nostalgic and sad.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Gradually, as a meandering narrative comes to focus on the case of Hisashi (Ojiro Nakamura), a cheery young boy awaiting a heart transplant, the film’s intellectual and emotional interests come to a satisfying (and aggressively tear-jerking) head.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Aug. 2025
Noel Murray, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
The Surprise Lining The most tear-jerking moment, however, was kept secret until the very last minute.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Sounds like the plot of a tear-jerking movie, no?
—David Oliver, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
With an epic Oscar-winning title song by Streisand and tear-jerking scenes aplenty, this film is a perennial favorite and often referred to in pop culture.
—Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
One video posted to the social platform X appeared to show Kirk addressing the students, at one point speaking about gang violence, before being struck near the neck and later jerking to his left side.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 10 Sep. 2025
The story follows a Jewish family across five generations, from childhood to adulthood, blending laughs and tear-jerking moments, just like in Bob-Waksberg’s other shows.
—Braedon Montgomery, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Tear-jerking purple prose designed to make a Baby Boomer nostalgic and sad.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Gradually, as a meandering narrative comes to focus on the case of Hisashi (Ojiro Nakamura), a cheery young boy awaiting a heart transplant, the film’s intellectual and emotional interests come to a satisfying (and aggressively tear-jerking) head.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerking
Verb
-
Video of that incident shows a man identified by police as Calhoon lunging across the table, yanking it toward him and flipping it on its side while Turning Point promotional materials spilled onto the pavement.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Ciattarelli promises to lower energy costs immediately by yanking the state out of a regional greenhouse gas initiative, as well as any other environmental policy that voters are sick of.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Picture objects levitating or twitching without external interference—or switching rooms.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Any dairy farmer can tell you that biting flies are a pestilent scourge for cattle herds, which is why one so often sees cows throwing their heads, stamping their feet, flicking their tails, and twitching their skin—desperately trying to shake off the nasty creatures.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Just two weeks ago, Japan’s new prime minister Sanae Takaichi was shaking hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
12 Nov. 2025
-
As the title suggests, this sprawling tale centers on Raja, a man in his sixties who lives with his mother in Beirut, a city shaking with political and ecological turmoil.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The challenge is less about pulling people off the street and more about improving the quality and capacity of training and integration of Ukrainian infantry into combat brigades.—
Jack Watling,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Nov. 2025
-
After pulling between your teeth to enjoy, the pods are discarded.—
Tammy Algood,
Southern Kitchen,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Applause intermingled with tears as the families of the Camp Mystic campers and counselors looked on, many with small children fidgeting in their Sunday-best attire behind the governor.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Andy sighed, shuddering between them.—
Bryan Washington,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
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The White House will be well aware of this fact, particularly in an environment where fiscally conservative Republicans will be shuddering at Uncle Sam’s $37 trillion (and growing) national debt.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Back then, Newcastle’s thin squad staggered between results, lurching from challenging the best sides in the league to befuddling losses to inferior squads.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The administration’s lurching one way and another with tariffs is another example.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The brawl spilled outside of the ring, with Punk tossing Paul into a barricade.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been charged with taking bribes from sports bettors to intentionally throw certain types of pitches, including tossing balls instead of strikes to ensure successful bets.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jerking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerking. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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