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
-
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra believed Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball should have been ejected after yanking on star center Bam Adebayo’s foot, causing an injury to his lower back.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The video shows the pacing man pounding on the front door and attempting to kick it in before yanking down a hanging doorbell fixture near the entryway and hurling it at the doorway.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 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,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The starts were violent, ground-shaking and painfully loud.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Rodriguez was seen on camera sitting behind the boy and pulling his arms behind his back causing his shoulders to flare out, police say.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
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Last week, the archdiocese accused CPS of abruptly pulling the funding from only Catholic schools before the school year ended, even questioning if the district had mismanaged money and if the district was targeting their religious schools.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The design was inspired by the hair-tearing boredom of COVID lockdown-era remote work, a time in which Knafs founder Ben Petersen maintained sanity during Zoom calls by fidgeting around with pocket knives and doodling pictures.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Minimal but purposeful movement, avoiding fidgeting or excessive gestures, shows intention.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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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Meanwhile the Caliente Range — those mountains just to the west — are lurching the opposite way.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
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Suarez was excellent on Friday, tossing eight shutout innings to deliver the best start by a Red Sox pitcher so far this season.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Hot sleepers know the feeling of tossing, turning, and sweating through too-warm bedding especially well, but the proper seasonal bedding can eliminate this issue.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jerking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerking. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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