as in to pry
to raise, move, or pull apart with or as if with a lever
let's try to jimmy the door lock with my credit card
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Recent Examples of jimmy
In a surveillance video released by authorities, Robinson allegedly darts across the roof after firing the single shot, jimmies down to a ledge and jumps to the grass below.
—
Rick Jervis, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
Johns’ apartment was locked, but staff at the Apple Apartments jimmied the sliding glass patio door to get in.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 June 2025
The district attorney repeatedly assailed the Police Department over the level of security in its evidence room, saying that officers had unfettered access through a gap in the wall and used a broomstick to jimmy a door.
—Neil Vigdor, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Enlarge / Infrared image of a person jimmying open a vehicle.
—Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 7 Apr. 2023
Their minds still flash back a month to the sound of the thud on the bathroom floor and to jimmying open the door with a butter knife.
—Marisa Gerber, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2020
Hopkins Commercial, the strip mall’s owner, secured them after the storm, but on Wednesday, police said they’d been jimmied open by copper-wire thieves and looters.
—Robert Wilonsky, Dallas News, 30 Jan. 2020
Part of that legend includes new seating that already had generated complaints — season ticket holders say they’re being asked to jimmy themselves into narrower space.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2019
Andre Stanton, 28, ripped off the door handle to the cruiser despite being handcuffed with his hands behind his back and jimmied the lock open, police reports say.
—Adam Ferrise, cleveland.com, 4 July 2019
Rick Jervis, USA Today, 14 Sep. 2025
Johns’ apartment was locked, but staff at the Apple Apartments jimmied the sliding glass patio door to get in.
—Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 June 2025
The district attorney repeatedly assailed the Police Department over the level of security in its evidence room, saying that officers had unfettered access through a gap in the wall and used a broomstick to jimmy a door.
—Neil Vigdor, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Enlarge / Infrared image of a person jimmying open a vehicle.
—Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 7 Apr. 2023
Their minds still flash back a month to the sound of the thud on the bathroom floor and to jimmying open the door with a butter knife.
—Marisa Gerber, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2020
Hopkins Commercial, the strip mall’s owner, secured them after the storm, but on Wednesday, police said they’d been jimmied open by copper-wire thieves and looters.
—Robert Wilonsky, Dallas News, 30 Jan. 2020
Part of that legend includes new seating that already had generated complaints — season ticket holders say they’re being asked to jimmy themselves into narrower space.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2019
Andre Stanton, 28, ripped off the door handle to the cruiser despite being handcuffed with his hands behind his back and jimmied the lock open, police reports say.
—Adam Ferrise, cleveland.com, 4 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jimmy
pull
Verb
-
What lingers are the fragments that weren’t rehearsed, a voice breaking, a note pulled from the back of a notebook, a chant that filled the room, a line spoken more to a spouse than to the cameras.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Bolt-action rifles, prized for reliability, require the operator to pull the trigger for one round before manually chambering another round.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jimmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jimmy. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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