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
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 jerking
The tear-jerking dramedy featured a breakthrough role for Emilia Jones, an Oscar-winning, scene-stealing turn by Troy Kotsur and a thoughtful narrative that took audiences into the personal lives of a deaf family with a single hearing member.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
That jerking motion, combined with detergent and water, loosens dirt from the surfaces of clothing.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
Sad to see Yang leave the comedy sketch series, viewers focused on saying their goodbyes rather than the tear-jerking sketch.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025
Cuddling on the couch quickly turns to Shane getting on top of Ilya yet again, this time jerking them both off.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Robert paid tribute to his trailblazing dad on multiple occasions throughout season 34, including a tear-jerking rendition of a foxtrot that Bindi danced a decade ago in the same ballroom.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Nov. 2025
Avoid jerking your torso up and down during bent-over rows or swinging your arms during front, lateral, and rear raises.
—Jenessa Connor, Health, 24 Nov. 2025
But then the gang come through with an arsenal of fizzing fireworks, as does Dacre Montgomery’s Billy with a tear-jerking sacrifice.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 22 Nov. 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
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Jan. 2026
That jerking motion, combined with detergent and water, loosens dirt from the surfaces of clothing.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
Sad to see Yang leave the comedy sketch series, viewers focused on saying their goodbyes rather than the tear-jerking sketch.
—Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025
Cuddling on the couch quickly turns to Shane getting on top of Ilya yet again, this time jerking them both off.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Robert paid tribute to his trailblazing dad on multiple occasions throughout season 34, including a tear-jerking rendition of a foxtrot that Bindi danced a decade ago in the same ballroom.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Nov. 2025
Avoid jerking your torso up and down during bent-over rows or swinging your arms during front, lateral, and rear raises.
—Jenessa Connor, Health, 24 Nov. 2025
But then the gang come through with an arsenal of fizzing fireworks, as does Dacre Montgomery’s Billy with a tear-jerking sacrifice.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 22 Nov. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerking
Verb
-
Trump did not take kindly to those remarks, responding with threats in Davos before yanking the Board of Peace invitation.—
Steven Sloan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Discouraged home sellers are yanking the for-sale signs out of their front yards.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
His eye is twitching, just a little.—
Allegra Goodman,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
-
In a heartbreaking video, a partially paralyzed dog is caught twitching his paws in his sleep, and internet users can’t stop sobbing.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Structure information summary Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly resistant to earthquake shaking, though some vulnerable structures exist.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
-
While Bryant was able to come from behind, the Lady Hornets had a hard time shaking off the Lady Warriors.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As his career skyrocketed, Chalamet spent years quietly training — aided by an expert on the sport, Diego Schaaf — by pulling a table-tennis setup along to productions ranging from Dune to Wonka.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Notre Dame didn’t mess around in pulling all that material together, looking like a program with a plan before the portal opened.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 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
-
Most of the camp was enclosed with an electrified fence, to keep out the Big Men, the massive, shuddering ursids that could not be named (more on that later).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Dec. 2025
-
With haunted vocal multitracking and big, shuddering beats, the album builds to a climax in which hope and fear are swept into the same rush of human experience.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Natanya complicates her old-school character sketch with cerebral shifts in perspective, affecting each of the voices that accompany a young woman’s drive for success and independence (demanding friends and parents, sexist expectations, her own willpower) in a lurching cascade of melodies.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The midterm blue wave backlash is gathering, with the generic ballot lurching in the Democrats' favor and Trump’s popularity cratering.—
Matt Robison,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Soon after, federal agents began tossing tear gas toward the crowd and police, who were not wearing protective gear, video shows.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
-
For more than 60 years (approximately 1906 to 1967), three beaches in Fort Bragg were used as dump sites, with people tossing household goods, glass, and more into the sea without much thought about the environmental consequences.—
Chelsee Lowe,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jerking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerking. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
