1
as in shook
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
Relevance
2
as in jerked
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 shocked
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 jolted
The federal government’s effort has been viewed as a broad attack on social services in California, and jolted tens of thousands of working families and the state’s child-care industry.
—
Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
She was jolted awake to see her kids’ father coming at her, pointing a knife at her chest, prosecutors said.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
The earthquake jolted at a depth of 4 miles, with its epicenter about 9 miles north-northwest of Susanville.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 29 Dec. 2025
The mass merchant, which has been jolted to life after a period of stagnation, has rejiggered to get its private-label fashions to move at something like the speed of social media.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 22 Dec. 2025
With the right strategies, they can be jolted off balance.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Crockett made her announcement on the last day to file for the 2026 primaries -- which have been jolted by the redistricting.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 9 Dec. 2025
Tyson, a former Miss World New Zealand, was about to film a second take when the bird's body jolted her head to the side.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
Then, amid the noise, athletic director Chris McIntosh jolted the fan base by declaring that Fickell would return in 2026 — even as the Badgers sat 2-6 with an offense ranked 134th of 136 nationally.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2026
She was jolted awake to see her kids’ father coming at her, pointing a knife at her chest, prosecutors said.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
The earthquake jolted at a depth of 4 miles, with its epicenter about 9 miles north-northwest of Susanville.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 29 Dec. 2025
The mass merchant, which has been jolted to life after a period of stagnation, has rejiggered to get its private-label fashions to move at something like the speed of social media.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 22 Dec. 2025
With the right strategies, they can be jolted off balance.
—Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Crockett made her announcement on the last day to file for the 2026 primaries -- which have been jolted by the redistricting.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 9 Dec. 2025
Tyson, a former Miss World New Zealand, was about to film a second take when the bird's body jolted her head to the side.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
Then, amid the noise, athletic director Chris McIntosh jolted the fan base by declaring that Fickell would return in 2026 — even as the Badgers sat 2-6 with an offense ranked 134th of 136 nationally.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jolted
Verb
-
And Tagovailoa shook off that early interception with a 9-yard scoring pass to Malik Washington — capping a ferocious seven-minute, 92-yard drive — and then a 38-yard TD strike to Jaylen Waddle.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Miller finished with 129 yards on 18 carries, while Jayden Maiava shook off a poor day throwing the ball with 62 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Aisha jerked and opened her eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The two stood nose-to-nose on the field when the Steelers player grabbed onto Chase’s facemask, jerked his head and appeared to punch him.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
16 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
You’d be shocked to see how little (or how much) some of the more popular backpacks are capable of handling.—
Adam Trenkamp,
Outside,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Local senior living residents also told WESH that they were shocked to learn about the case, as the community had felt safe in the past.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Earth shuddered with yet another wave of extinctions in this initial chill.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
-
For much of last season, Atletico appeared set to seriously compete on all fronts, but their season shuddered to a stop in March with a series of disappointing defeats by Barcelona and Madrid across La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Officer Alex Millan then yanked open the passenger door of the suspects’ car; at the same time, the car drove forward over the curb.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Furious too that anyone could think the defender had deliberately yanked the striker’s hair.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Russia and China claim to be appalled, too, but to use a classic diplomatic expression, the leaders in Beijing and Moscow should be invited, with all due respect, to shut their traps.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
-
Aggie is appalled at Nile’s presumptuousness, his entitlement.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
6 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
As the meeting was ending, Vande Kolk’s cellphone vibrated.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The relentless Chacon lurched outside after her just as his car door opened and out popped their 6-year-old son, begging his dad to stop.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
New year optimism was certainly in short supply inside Anfield as the mood lurched from restlessness to exasperation and then anger.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jolted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jolted. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share