JERKING Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

jerking

verb

present participle of jerk

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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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

as in shaking

to make a series of small irregular or violent movements the car jerked with every shift of the gear

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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 And like any great sitcom, Friends runs the gamut from numbing brain-rot to tear-jerking sentimentality. — Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026 Even after a bailiff woke him up, Martin slumped over in his wheelchair, inside a courtroom bullpen, occasionally jerking and opening his eyes. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026 The production’s winking tone blunts some of the original’s tear-jerking climax, yet its intact happy ending offers a surprisingly comforting vision of survival in an age of constant crises. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026 Henry drove off and sped up to 45 mph before jerking the car. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Our step-by-step guide shows you how to make quick work of dicing the tear-jerking bulb. — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026 Stuttering lines, on the left, jerking up and down, denote the rattle of guns; on the right, the lines are all but flat, as silence descends. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 Logan Howlett, got a tear-jerking send-off in James Mangold’s Logan. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 2026 Nighttime in the Okefenokee is filled with a wild cacophony — the choruses of pig frogs, hooting owls, crickets and sometimes the deep, nerve-jerking bellowing of bull alligators. — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerking

Verb

Sanders made field goals of 33, 51 and 52 yards, rebounding after yanking a 54-yard attempt short and left.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2026
Once the drop trap — a simple wire cage triggered by yanking on a cord — is set up with an enticing mix of sardines and shards of roast chicken on a cardboard tray inside, everyone moves out of sight behind massive logs a few yards away.

— Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of yanking

Verb

This is not easy for Robin (Griffin), who, judging by his nervously twitching legs and tendency to info-dump on interlocutors, finds ordinary interactions very stressful.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
Green said his symptoms began when his feet started twitching in his sleep.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026

Definition of twitching

Verb

The key to pulling it off was close collaboration with his department heads and lead actor to make sure James’ arc was clearly mapped out, both visually and emotionally.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 25 Sep. 2026
There were slides, there was a demo everyone loved, and then, a few quarters later, someone stopped pulling the usage numbers and the whole thing faded.

— Amirtha Saminathan, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of pulling

Verb

Following this concern, 55% of parents said their top concern was their child’s ability to complete multistep tasks such as homework while 45% of parents cited fidgeting.

— Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Aug. 2026
The current boom is driven by Gen Z’s openness about mental health, social-commerce virality on TikTok and Etsy, and a broader nervous-system regulation movement that treats fidgeting as a legitimate coping tool rather than a bad habit.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of fidgeting

Verb

There’s the studio version, which has some really interesting production, with Meg’s shuddering percussion that eventually grates and distracts, and Jack’s very chunky guitar.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
These seemingly innocuous incidents attain new significance as they’re revisited alongside a slow crescendo that suddenly turns to shuddering piano chords on the track’s bridge.

— Nick Ayres DeMasi, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026

Definition of shuddering

Verb

Maybe this is what the Chargers are — lurching, sputtering and unable to consistently move the football, despite an offensive overhaul packed with lofty expectations.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
One more try and the orchestra slides up the expressive contrast a few notches to intensify the feeling of lurching from mood to mood.

— Justin Davidson, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026