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
He, too, was bowled over by the film's tear-jerking finale.
—
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 23 Sep. 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
There are some heartfelt, tear-jerking moments this season.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2025
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 23 Sep. 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
There are some heartfelt, tear-jerking moments this season.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerking
Verb
-
In the footage, a uniformed officer is seen forcibly grabbing the female passenger’s arm and yanking her towards the aisle.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Stern is one of several high-profile entertainments hosts who have condemned ABC and Disney for yanking Kimmel off the air.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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Prior to the 2024 incident, Mangione reportedly shared information on Reddit about a number of health issues, including struggles with back pain, brain fog, and twitching leg muscles.—
Olivia-Anne Cleary,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Not even a month had passed since his big sister, Toraya, was shot and killed at an apartment complex in New Jersey, devastating the Reid family and shaking the Timberwolves organization to its core.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
-
In sixteenth-century Europe, just as Martin Luther’s ideas were shaking Catholic institutions, a far more radical movement for freedom rose up among peasants.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Shepp announced that Veal earned the rare Girl Scout Saving Award, an accolade reserved for monumental acts of bravery; Veal, along with her mother, helped save the life of a Sand City Beach fisherman who lost his footing and collapsed, pulling him ashore.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
30 Sep. 2025
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The profile image on the chat features a behind-the-scenes snapshot of Bailey with his on-screen brothers Luke Newton (Colin Bridgerton) and Luke Thompson (Benedict Bridgerton) pulling silly faces.—
Olivia-Anne Cleary,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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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The administration’s lurching one way and another with tariffs is another example.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
20 Sep. 2025
-
The title track opens the affair by lurching and creeping forward for ten minutes with odd, off-putting lyrics.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to one week; rewarm before tossing or brushing on any protein.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
5 Oct. 2025
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Several men at the docks made a great show of tossing all the luggage from man to man to man, then piling it neatly on the shore.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jerking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerking. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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