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
  • But more broadly, as streaming became the dominant way audiences consume entertainment, a shelf full of stuff started to look like a relic of a clumsier time that most folks were happy to forget.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
  • The decision last fall followed clumsy discussion by Kennedy’s dubiously qualified advisors, who make up the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026
Definition of clumsy
Verb
  • The family eventually rebuilt itself, but filming the show excavated old wounds.
    — Eliana Dockterman, Time, 14 July 2026
  • The new regime then overhauled the franchise’s training facilities, rebuilt its player development system and recruited top talent on the field, according to a retrospective from The Japan Times published in 2024.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 13 July 2026
Definition of rebuilt
Adjective
  • Today's launch aims to smooth over a few rough patches that the vehicle ran into during V3's debut on the mostly successful Flight 12, which occurred on May 22.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 16 July 2026
  • That comes after a rough day of trading as shares fell below their IPO price.
    — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Definition of rough
Verb
  • Mendieta made installations of these silhouette works, too, one of which is reconstructed in the exhibition under the careful guidance of her niece, Raquel Cecilia Mendieta.
    — Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026
  • Agents propose the move, make it and book it, and the audit trail falls out as a byproduct instead of getting reconstructed three weeks later.
    — Rahul Bhatia, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of reconstructed
Adjective
  • Only one guy, Timothy Piatkowski, a researcher involved with the Games, suggested that my question might be a little rude.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
  • It’s considered rude to answer one’s phone on public transport or in a restaurant, for example.
    — Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026
Definition of rude
Verb
  • Trying to retrofit the economics afterward is where brands get into trouble.
    — Esha Chhabra, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Much of this glazing has been retrofitted with an ultraviolet dot pattern that’s hardly perceptible to us but lifesaving for birds.
    — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026
Definition of retrofitted
Adjective
  • Instead of doubling down on a flawed system, policymakers can make gradual changes by introducing new tax categories in the existing framework and imposing taxes that correspond to the alcoholic content of that category.
    — Adam Hoffer, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • The company says the claims contain flawed conclusions and rejects the characterization of the technology as a botnet.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of flawed
Verb
  • In 2011, Aguirre devised a technique to motivate his Real Zaragoza players ahead of a league match against Real Madrid.
    — Colin Millar, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Scientists at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) have devised a technique to turn still-wet coffee grounds into high-grade biofuel in as little as 90 seconds.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 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 17 Jul. 2026.

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