as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
my jerry-built wine racks may not look pretty, but they get the job done
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerry-built
Adjective
-
Even young Oklahoma City required a clumsy postseason audition.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026 -
The driver and his accomplice then mounted a clumsy getaway that resulted in their scooter crashing about three blocks from the scene, cops said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Residents rebuilt their homes, but then Israel’s occupation in 1982 — which triggered Hezbollah’s rise — forced them to leave yet again until Hezbollah ousted Israel in 2000.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
In practice, some version of this approach remains a staple of urban planning, because certain assets always have to be rebuilt.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Recently published in the journal Nature, the latest study into the birth of the canine, which might have spawned an immediate bond between dog and man, reconstructed whole genomes, 10,000 years old, and cross-evaluated them with modern-day canines.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Using footage from police body cameras, helicopter video and real-time crime center footage, Largess reconstructed police actions on June 2.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With climate change causing storms to be stronger and rougher than in the past, communities up and down the California coast are facing a similar challenge, as other aging wooden piers suffer damage, leaving cities facing large bills while the public clamors to keep the popular attractions open.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Using your fingers and the outside edges of your palms, press in any rough spots or remaining dry bits of dough.—
Chris Morocco,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Rain, April’s rude house guest, visits erratically and unannounced.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Some lawyers think a video shows a Texas judge being rude to an IT worker.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The construction project retrofitted the first two floors of the four-story building and provides a chance to expand services in the future.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Tanks have been retrofitted with cages and mesh to deflect drone strikes.—
Holly Williams,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But the arc — first raising expectations for a big reveal, then declaring there was nothing to see, and ultimately a forced, flawed document dump — was a stubbornly problematic storyline that ran through her time as attorney general.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Now a national policy that risks worsening care and eroding patient dignity is being justified by a single, flawed data point.—
Diego Schaps,
STAT,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Islam kissed the ethnically and religiously diverse Arab lands and devised an inclusive and innovative formula.—
Doris Bittar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
-
This byzantine corporate structure apparently did not exist until Altman devised it.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Jerry-built.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerry-built. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
