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
A lot of what can and should be built are bespoke products in their own right that would otherwise have been jerry-rigged from external companies.
—
Naveen Zutshi, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
That modernity means Halo: Campaign Evolved occasionally feels a bit weird, like Halo Studios jerry-rigged a jet engine to a Subaru Outback.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
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
Naveen Zutshi, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
That modernity means Halo: Campaign Evolved occasionally feels a bit weird, like Halo Studios jerry-rigged a jet engine to a Subaru Outback.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerry-rigged
Adjective
-
This layout makes the monitor a natural fit for high-traffic environments like banking counters, medical reception desks, and service queues where traditional screen-sharing is often clumsy or compromises privacy.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 June 2026
-
The clumsy third inning from the defense didn’t help Tong, who threw 27 pitches in the frame.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Last year, researchers at the University of California San Diego developed a wearable AI system that accurately interprets arm gestures and controls robots, even during running, vehicle motion, or rough ocean conditions.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
-
The large leg retains stability even on rough, uneven ground.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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That seems a pretty rude thing to write in the newspaper.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
-
Brock isn’t being rude — far from it.—
Rachel Brodsky,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Underneath Carrey’s wild performance, the actor was keen to inject an unlikely slice of empathy into a very flawed character.—
Simon Bland,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
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Without data that is relatively complete, normalized and updated, AI will present bad information, which can lead to a flawed decision.—
Troy Holaday,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jerry-rigged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerry-rigged. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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