1
as in collision
a forceful coming together of two things
pack the glass vase so that it won't fall victim to any hard jolts in transit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in surprise
something that makes a strong impression because it is so unexpected
the news of the CEO's sudden retirement was a jolt to us all
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
the roller coaster car jerked and jolted as it coursed along the old wooden tracks
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to yank
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion
she jolted the door open with her elbow
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to shock
to cause an unpleasant surprise for
the sneak terrorist attack jolted the country out of its indolence and indifference
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jolt
Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 June 2026
Lee and Ajiri's jolt of inspiration carried us through to the end of the day.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, The Conversation, 11 June 2026
Israel launched airstrikes on central and western Iran after Tehran fired missiles at Israel, jolting major cities with explosions and raising fears the region is sliding back toward all-out war.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for jolt
Noun
To serve a crowd, mix up a concentrate with plenty of tangy lime juice, Worcestershire, and Cholula for a jolt of heat.
—Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 June 2026
Lee and Ajiri's jolt of inspiration carried us through to the end of the day.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
Verb
They might be jolted awake with a pounding heart, multiple times a night, for years.
—Joanna Fong-Isariyawongse, The Conversation, 11 June 2026
Israel launched airstrikes on central and western Iran after Tehran fired missiles at Israel, jolting major cities with explosions and raising fears the region is sliding back toward all-out war.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for jolt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jolt
Noun
-
Scotland's Ben Gannon-Doak was trying to run down a long pass when Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou ran out to grab the ball, and both met in a crunching collision that left both players down for a minute.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
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The alert also cited jet ski accidents involving American citizens, including a rider killed in a boat collision and cases of operators ignoring warnings of dangerous weather.—
Robert Abitbol,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
Noun
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Cape Verde surprises once again When the World Cup draw first came out, Sunday’s group stage game in Miami between two-time champion Uruguay and tournament debutant Cape Verde did not seem like a particularly compelling matchup.—
Andre Fernandez,
Miami Herald,
22 June 2026
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Sensors give engineers more ways to see inside concrete, steel, soil and water, turning some surprise closures into repairs planned months earlier.—
Alex Krasnok,
Fortune,
21 June 2026
Verb
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Canada’s first-ever World Cup win was overshadowed yesterday when midfielder Ismaël Koné suffered a broken leg after a tackle that left teammates shaken and coach Jesse Marsch lamenting an injury that turned a night of celebration into one of anguish.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
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In a major rupture, strong shaking could cause severe damage near the fault and in areas built on soft or water-saturated soils, which can amplify shaking.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Verb
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Within days of its release, Anthropic’s most sophisticated public AI model was abruptly yanked from customers.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
-
With two outs and a runner on, Sasaki yanked a splitter to the inside edge of the strike zone to Gunnar Henderson, who lifted it over the wall in right field.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Verb
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In a phone interview with The Times, her sister, Vanessa Marseille, said the family was shocked and devastated over the incident.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
The audience was definitely shocked and also touched.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
While playing Pragmata, the thump of approaching robots had solid directionality, and the weapon blasts had a good amount of low-end force.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
14 June 2026
-
The driver’s side opens, releasing the thump of music and a tall, lean figure.—
Shyla Watson,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Verb
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The series opens as City’s record-breaking run of 26 games unbeaten comes to a shuddering halt, with a string of defeats in late 2024 leaving Guardiola visibly shaken.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
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The American flag has never been among those Davis shudders to make.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Don’t twist or jerk the tick, which can cause the mouth to break off in your skin.—
Reeti Malhotra,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
-
Once the squid gather near the surface, lines fitted with bait are lowered into the water and rapidly jerked up and down to imitate small prey such as shrimp, triggering strikes before the catch is reeled aboard.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jolt. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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