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

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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
  • One of the clumsiest parts of Klosterman’s book is his attempts at political punditry.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Feed your head Neagley gets off to a sluggish start, with a workmanlike, rather clumsy first episode largely spent establishing the main characters and central plot—and the writers lean a bit too hard on constant Chicago callbacks.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Verb
  • Four years ago, after helping found Matter, Apple rebuilt HomeKit’s underlying architecture and revamped the Home app, laying a strong foundation.
    — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Cities almost entirely destroyed by American bombs had to be rebuilt.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebuilt
Adjective
  • The Dallas Cowboys are bringing former NFL coach Mike Pettine out of retirement to serve as a senior assistant to defensive coordinator Christian Parker, whose debut in his new position is off to a rough start.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The Tampa Bay Rays are staring down a rough start to the American League Championship Series.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of rough
Verb
  • Strolling, moon-watching, reading, writing, burning incense, listening to the guqin and sharing a simple banquet were then reconstructed as experiences that visitors could enter and feel for themselves.
    — Li Jun, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Since then, the 16-foot-by-32-foot church has been reconstructed, after archaeologists in 2021 uncovered the church’s original foundation, as well as 62 graves linked to the congregation.
    — Nancy Jiang, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of reconstructed
Adjective
  • No rude reality intrudes on Avedon’s dream city, where the women are beautiful and in love and even the bystanders are charmed.
    — Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Which was frankly rude, since it’s been living in my house for a decade.
    — Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of rude
Verb
  • Colleges should design advising, scheduling, and data systems for adult and returning learners from the start, not retrofit them as an afterthought.
    — Ruth Bauer, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The former hotel was retrofitted into a shelter within a matter of months.
    — Conor Wight, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of retrofitted
Adjective
  • The Dolphins are a flawed team as constructed, and nobody’s showing up to save the day.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Most agree that the AP Top 25 Poll has become fatally flawed, thanks to a combination of human voter bias, time zone issues, mistakes and the sheer number of games, which makes following each one in detail virtually impossible.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of flawed
Verb
  • In 2020, Disney devised a range of bespoke telecasts of a Wild Card game, one tailored for younger viewers on the company’s Freeform cable outlet.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Gene regulation wasn’t understood when Waddington first devised his landscape and rope network.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 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 Oct. 2026.

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