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

Relevance

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

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 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

Shortly after, the video shows the same officer yanking him to the ground, punching and kicking him.

— Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
Zabransky was the first person to reach Rabb in the end zone, yanking him into the air for a bear hug.

— Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of yanking

Verb

Previous research by the researchers documented twitching limbs and moving retinas in another jumping spider species.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2026
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

Definition of twitching

Verb

The Catholic headquarters revealed that the two figures had linked up by sharing a photo on Instagram of them shaking hands.

— Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2026
Candidates make final push during last-minute campaigning Hochul spent Monday in New York City, shaking hands, taking selfies and even bowling a strike at a campaign rally in Brooklyn.

— Elijah Westbrook, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of shaking

Verb

The first daily chart, going back to July, shows PJP rallying through the summer, topping in late August, and pulling back into October before advancing again.

— Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
With a tighter opening, the octopus added a step, pulling the remaining arms through before squeezing its head and mantle through separately.

— Reuters, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of pulling

Verb

Weaving every movement together are barely perceptible particles that make your ears blink and double-take—bubbles, dolphin gurgles, memory chips fidgeting, sprites hiccuping.

— Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
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

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

By the end of the lengthy, lurching first act, the entire eight-person cast is onstage.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026
After a handful of supremely mellow releases that blended lurching ’90s breakbeats with wintry, Mazzy Star-like songwriting, their third album dives into a vat of mercurial distortion and slippery, all-consuming bass.

— Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of lurching

Verb

In the second quarter, Jack Fox lined up to punt before tossing an 11-yard pass to Tay Martin, which gave Detroit the ball at the 41.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2026
Check The Care Label First Before tossing your comforter into the washing machine, check the care label.

— Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2026