1
as in bastards
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
his constant rudeness and insensitivity made everyone think he was a real jerk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tugs
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force
guided the rowboat with a jerk of the rope
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in yanks
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
2
as in twitches
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 shakes
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 jerks
Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
The mechanism feels smooth and sturdy—no awkward jerks or wobbles.
—Zoë Sessums, Architectural Digest, 4 Sep. 2025
Life is too short to work with jerks.
—Shayne Fitz-Coy, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Needless to say, all these vain, privileged, self-promoting jerks are soon going to make CW’s acquaintance, then regret it — even as vengeful Madison zeroes in on that lady’s whereabouts.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
The sequel sees Odenkirk’s Hutch Mansell attempt to take a family vacation, only to cross paths with violent jerks played by Colin Hanks and Sharon Stone.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2025
The mechanism feels smooth and sturdy—no awkward jerks or wobbles.
—Zoë Sessums, Architectural Digest, 4 Sep. 2025
Life is too short to work with jerks.
—Shayne Fitz-Coy, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Needless to say, all these vain, privileged, self-promoting jerks are soon going to make CW’s acquaintance, then regret it — even as vengeful Madison zeroes in on that lady’s whereabouts.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerks
Noun
-
Less obvious is how the Earth itself tugs at the solid rocky surface of the moon.—
Nola Taylor Tillman,
Space.com,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Firefly makes rockets, space tugs and lunar landers.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Suddenly, someone in the audience yanks her violently into the screaming mass of people.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
10 Oct. 2025
-
In each Whatever After novel, a magic portal yanks the main character, Abby, out of her comfortable life and thrusts her into another reality.—
Sarah Mlynowski,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.—
Emma R. Hasson,
Scientific American,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Yet Leto never shakes the role’s robotic nature, even as his character strives to become more human, and his acting partners struggle to play off that in a meaningful way.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
-
These days, the Detroit area gets more love from the outside world, but the auto industry, while certainly healthier, never fully shakes nagging questions about its future, particularly now with worries about competition from China and tariff uncertainties.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The biggest losers are the very citizens electing these clowns.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
-
More than a decade later, the series continues to reimagine American histories and channel primal fears — from clowns and cults, to witches and ghosts — with each installment cloaked in social commentary and camp.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Chrome faucets, brushed brass pulls, and tile counters sparkle without overwhelming the rustic base.—
Kathy Barnes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Make sure to clean and polish knobs and pulls.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Despite that notable change, watching One Battle After Another is much like the experience of reading Pynchon, who lurches from high comedy to stomach-turning naturalism and punctuates plot-heavy sequences with little grace notes of character portraiture.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
24 Sep. 2025
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That film begins with charismatic bank robber Ryan Gosling in a thrilling motorcycle escape from the cops, and moves through several twists and turns, lurches forward in time, and holds Gosling at its heart as a man doing bad things for good reasons.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The man fidgets, shifts around in his seat and fixates on Zarutska before pulling out a small knife and striking her multiple times around her neck.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jerks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerks. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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