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
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
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Countless cups later, jolts of energy and lingering taste of nutty, chocolatey or caramel notes, each coffee shop in every neighborhood has its own voice and personality.
—Tamia Boyd, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2025
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
But his subtle brush-off of Collins is a sign of the cocky and brash kid already beginning to emerge — the same one who could cut down people down to size on his way to redefining himself and jolting both the New York folk scene and the world of pop at large.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jolt
Noun
Nvidia shares also could get a jolt this week from the quarterly results of its major customers, although the question is in which direction.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Countless cups later, jolts of energy and lingering taste of nutty, chocolatey or caramel notes, each coffee shop in every neighborhood has its own voice and personality.
—Tamia Boyd, Charlotte Observer, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
Those new Canada tariffs jolted free-trade Republicans, prompting Democrats to force a series of tariff votes.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
But his subtle brush-off of Collins is a sign of the cocky and brash kid already beginning to emerge — the same one who could cut down people down to size on his way to redefining himself and jolting both the New York folk scene and the world of pop at large.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jolt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jolt
Noun
-
Everything is dark around us, but the collision itself is a source of energy and the flash of it lights us up.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
After the collision and shooting on October 4, a crowd of protesters gathered around the scene on the southwest side of Chicago, and agents responded by deploying tear gas.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Wall Street’s bar for positive surprises is also rising, analysts say.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
-
When Democrats called a surprise redistricting session in early October, forcing her back to Richmond just as early voting ramped up, Earle-Sears barely mentioned it on the trail, beyond holding a press conference a week before the election.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Light shaking was detected, and people in several cities - including Hercules, San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland and Fremont - reported feeling the tremor, according to the USGS DYFI report.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Trim the dead parts, shake the soil off, and store them in a cool, dark location where they are protected from the cold.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Just as the video began, a man identified as Justin Calhoon, 19, lunged across the table, yanked it toward him and flipped it on its side while Turning Point materials spilled onto the pavement.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Ciattarelli promises to lower energy costs immediately by yanking the state out of a regional greenhouse gas initiative, as well as any other environmental policy that voters are sick of.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
What really shocked me was not that [Garland] was methodical and careful and cautious.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Then, everybody started to complain about it, shocking that everyone's complaining about something that was set up.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The windshield repels the huddled form and the thump on the pavement sounds like a rebuke.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The result is that the sonic boom becomes a sonic thump of 60 dB to 80 dB, or about that of a car door closing for those on the ground.—
David Szondy
October 28,
New Atlas,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
So one shudders to think what might happen when the Dolphins now face a murderer’s row of elite running backs and mobile quarterbacks.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Neumark shudders to think how much his grandmother may have spent on Beanie Babies.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Allen, who is 6 foot 5 and 237 pounds, jerked his head back in an effort to draw a roughing penalty on Bolton.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
3 Nov. 2025
-
To that point, Olympia shouldn’t be allowed to play the jury the tear-jerking recording of Frank’s final phone call home as the water rose.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jolt. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share