JOLT Synonyms: 195 Similar and Opposite Words

jolt 1 of 2

noun

ˈjōlt

Definition of jolt

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

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Relevance

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

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jolt

2 of 2

verb

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

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as in to yank

to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion she jolted the door open with her elbow

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as in to shock

to cause an unpleasant surprise for the sneak terrorist attack jolted the country out of its indolence and indifference

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of jolt

Noun

When the day starts at sunrise for wildlife safaris, hiking, or skiing, that java jolt is even more important. — Lindsay Cohn, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026 Across the region, other election officials were getting similar jolts. — Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2026

Verb

Carrie’s world cracks open after her father’s death, and she is jolted from the confines of her quaint home for the first time to attend high school. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026 This time the message went off-roading, traveling through the animal’s tissue as a faint electrical pulse and switching on an implant that jolted a nerve in that leg. — Peter Hall, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for jolt

Recent Examples of Synonyms for jolt

Noun

Both victims were rushed to a nearby hospital, where the boy succumbed to injuries sustained in the collisions.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
Apply the brakes if a collision is unavoidable to lessen the force of the crash.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of collision

Noun

Although the Cabinet members’ wins add to a growing GOP tradition in Florida — a Democrat hasn’t won statewide in the Sunshine State since 2018 — Democrats on Tuesday won surprise victories in congress and the state legislature.

— Liv Caputo, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026
Neither side has budged following Tusk’s surprise raid on the Constitutional Tribunal, through which his government ushered out the court’s president and vice president before installing ideologically sympathetic replacements.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of surprise

Verb

Soon after, a warden shook Guardado and shouted his name, but got no response and a medic then pronounced him dead.

— KIM CHANDLER, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026
Ueno Bank’s failure has locked nearly half the country’s 6 million people out of their savings, shaking a country long viewed as one of South America’s more stable economies.

— Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of shake

Verb

Back in 2024, Verstappen shocked the world with a wet-weather drive for the ages here, finishing first after starting from P17 on the grid.

— Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
Paxton attendees were shocked at the blue tsunami that engulfed the country.

— Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of shock

Verb

Anticipation shudders throughout Burning Song despite its elegiac core.

— Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2026
For those who might shudder at the thought of eating raw hardy greens like collards or kale, this vibrant side inspired by the French bistro classic leeks vinaigrette is the answer.

— Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026