as in clumsy
hastily or roughly constructed
a jerry-rigged switch to keep the machine in operation until it can be repaired
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Recent Examples of jerry-rigged
Lenovo's software has also matured, so switching between games feels more like playing a game console and less like a laptop jerry-rigged into a handheld.
—
Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025
This repurposing reflects how biological evolution is jerry-rigged, making use of what’s available.
—Philip Ball, Wired News, 8 June 2025
Amanda, introduced only briefly in the first movie, takes center stage as she and a group of troubled (and particularly shouty) people try to fight their way out of a house jerry-rigged with all manner of nasty devices.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 10 May 2025
Ali Al-Ahmed, a dissident Saudi scholar who kept in touch with Sahar, sent me a photograph of an apparatus that the sisters had jerry-rigged to distill fresh water from the sea, and one of a copper hook for catching fish and crabs.
—Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
Content by this author: Doomed From the Start Obamacare is a typically American concoction: a complicated program jerry-rigged to appeal to people with little faith in government.
—Kimberly J. Morgan, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
But arguably the most common and effective drones used by both sides have been simple, cheap devices whose parts are available to any consumer with an Amazon account, and jerry-rigged to carry small bombs or shells.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Jan. 2024
To create a tarmac road surface at model chicken scale the team use crushed walnuts mixed with glue and sand while a motorized device that looks like a toilet roll covered in tin foil has been jerry-rigged to create ripples on water.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 16 Dec. 2023
Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025
This repurposing reflects how biological evolution is jerry-rigged, making use of what’s available.
—Philip Ball, Wired News, 8 June 2025
Amanda, introduced only briefly in the first movie, takes center stage as she and a group of troubled (and particularly shouty) people try to fight their way out of a house jerry-rigged with all manner of nasty devices.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 10 May 2025
Ali Al-Ahmed, a dissident Saudi scholar who kept in touch with Sahar, sent me a photograph of an apparatus that the sisters had jerry-rigged to distill fresh water from the sea, and one of a copper hook for catching fish and crabs.
—Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
Content by this author: Doomed From the Start Obamacare is a typically American concoction: a complicated program jerry-rigged to appeal to people with little faith in government.
—Kimberly J. Morgan, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
But arguably the most common and effective drones used by both sides have been simple, cheap devices whose parts are available to any consumer with an Amazon account, and jerry-rigged to carry small bombs or shells.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Jan. 2024
To create a tarmac road surface at model chicken scale the team use crushed walnuts mixed with glue and sand while a motorized device that looks like a toilet roll covered in tin foil has been jerry-rigged to create ripples on water.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 16 Dec. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerry-rigged
Adjective
-
Chris and Emilia’s conversation is suddenly interrupted by a premature explosion, which was caused by a clumsy member of a militia group called the Sons of Liberty.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Tiny, slow and clumsy — these hatchlings are an easy snack for predators.—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Trump is mentioned again on Page 156 of the birthday book document in a photo and a handwritten caption with a crude joke allegedly penned by Joel Pashcow, who the Wall Street Journal reports is a long-time Mar-a-Lago member.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The data also shows that the Reliance refinery gets nearly half its crude oil from Russia.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Homers reheat Royals’ cold offense The Royals’ offense has hit another rough patch.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Sep. 2025
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Additionally, avoid using any pads or scrubbers with a rough surface that could damage the cabinet finish.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In interviews, Candy, who struggled with his weight for much of his life, had to deal with the press making rude comments about his size.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
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This question becomes thornier once Dorotea visits Rocca in prison, finding her rude and abrasive though not irrational.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The problem is a deeply flawed political system that repeatedly incentivizes the wrong choices.—
Les Rubin,
Boston Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
-
These are flawed characters struggling at the top of the middle or the bottom of the top; one is on the way down, the other on the way up.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jerry-rigged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerry-rigged. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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