jerry-built 1 of 2

adjective

ˈjer-ē-ˌbilt How to pronounce jerry-built (audio)
Definition of jerry-builtnext
as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed my jerry-built wine racks may not look pretty, but they get the job done

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

jerry-built

2 of 2

verb

past tense of jerry-build
as in rebuilt

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerry-built
  1. clumsy
  2. rebuilt
  3. rough
  4. reconstructed
  5. rude
  6. retrofitted
  7. flawed
  8. devised
Adjective
  • This not only flipped the pages but also translated the Japanese onomatopoeic sounds into somewhat clumsy English equivalents.
    — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • The other, in quite clumsy English, requested a very careful renovation of Ingmar Bergman’s house on the island of Fårö, in Sweden.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026
Definition of clumsy
Verb
  • By the 1970s, the brothers had rebuilt an even larger fortune in Florida, becoming one of the wealthiest and most politically influential families in Palm Beach.
    — Luisa Yanez, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Incidentally, said bridge was built in 1849 by the same architect who designed Hammersmith Bridge, and rebuilt after being blown up by the Germans in 1945, in order to stop Russian troops from crossing the Danube.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebuilt
Adjective
  • The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has had a rough year, and in a cynical way, that makes for great TV.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
  • When the economy hits rougher patches, employers curtail hiring or tend to favor experienced workers, businesses lean more on technology to fill any labor gaps, and some consumers pull back on discretionary spending.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of rough
Verb
  • It was demolished in May and is being reconstructed to meet modern safety and use standards.
    — Carson Bonner, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Hugging Face reconstructed its timeline after OpenAI came forward.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of reconstructed
Adjective
  • Downright rude when driving, scooters and bikes weaving in and out, people opening their windows and yelling all the time.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • As Nessie showed at lunch, being real does not necessarily include being rude.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 29 July 2026
Definition of rude
Verb
  • For marketers, this means trust cannot be retrofitted after automation grows.
    — Hope Frank, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Unlike Waymo and Tesla, which use cars retrofitted with autonomous driving technology, Zoox AVs are built from the ground up for autonomous driving.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 31 July 2026
Definition of retrofitted
Adjective
  • Waller correctly identifies the futility of adding more experts to central planning, which is inherently flawed, but mistakenly believes the Fed could be better without these panels.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Best known for playing the flawed but fiercely loyal Fiona Gallagher on the Showtime dramedy Shameless, Rossum has always gravitated towards imperfect heroines.
    — Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of flawed
Verb
  • So the study’s authors, led by Tuhin Chakrabarty, a professor of computer science at Stony Brook University, devised another check.
    — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 27 July 2026
  • Many believe Newton was the lone genius who devised this branch of mathematics all on his own.
    — Michael Muthukrishna, Fortune, 23 July 2026
Definition of devised
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.

Browse Nearby Words

jerry-builds
jerry-built
jerry-rigged
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Cite this Entry

“Jerry-built.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerry-built. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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