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
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Such a feature would neatly get around the need for clumsy remote control sessions to interact with AI agents running on a distant Mac.
-
The head coach was clumsy in his response, saying — in effect — that the player is better suited to being an impact substitute and taking advantage of tiring opposition defenders.
Adjective
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Mariana is not pleased to hear this, and he's got some rough-looking dudes with him.
-
Dual suspension helps smooth rough trails, hydraulic disc brakes provide dependable stopping power in changing conditions, and four-inch fat tires improve traction across gravel, dirt, sand, and pavement.
Adjective
-
Due Amici brings Brooklyn roots and authenticity, right down to the counter service that’s not rude but not exactly warm.
-
It’s widely considered rude and annoying when people cluster by the train doors if there are more people on the platform attempting to get on.
Adjective
-
The cause was not a cyberattack but a flawed software update, and that is precisely the point.
-
But this Administration is not interested in making a flawed system work better.
Cite this Entry
“Jerry-rigged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerry-rigged. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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