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
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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
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Recent Examples of jolted
His touchdown in the first quarter jolted the Patriots awake after their offense and defense hit snooze on their respective opening series.
—
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
The surprise move jolted Big Tech and financial firms which have long counted on the visa program to recruit highly skilled foreign workers, particularly from India and China.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2025
Local outlet Majorca Daily Bulletin pointed to reports that the crew was carrying out a safety check when the plane suddenly jolted.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
But British politics haven’t been sane or sensible for a long time—since Brexit, really, the last time that Farage jolted the country’s traditional two-party system off the rails.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
The electrifying sense of possibility jolted Koreans into action.
—Kornel Chang
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Three weeks ago, an ICE raid in Viejo San Juan jolted the city.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
But Reid, setting a tough-love tone, jolted him.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
The car at the bottom of the line jolted back a couple of metres (yards) and was apparently undamaged, but video from bystanders showed several passengers jumping out of its windows.
—Reuters, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 29 Sep. 2025
The surprise move jolted Big Tech and financial firms which have long counted on the visa program to recruit highly skilled foreign workers, particularly from India and China.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2025
Local outlet Majorca Daily Bulletin pointed to reports that the crew was carrying out a safety check when the plane suddenly jolted.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2025
But British politics haven’t been sane or sensible for a long time—since Brexit, really, the last time that Farage jolted the country’s traditional two-party system off the rails.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
The electrifying sense of possibility jolted Koreans into action.
—Kornel Chang
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Three weeks ago, an ICE raid in Viejo San Juan jolted the city.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
But Reid, setting a tough-love tone, jolted him.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
The car at the bottom of the line jolted back a couple of metres (yards) and was apparently undamaged, but video from bystanders showed several passengers jumping out of its windows.
—Reuters, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jolted
Verb
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By Brendan Kuty, Jen McCaffrey and Chris Kirschner NEW YORK — The crowd roared, and then the building shook.—
Brendan Kuty,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
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Clark shook her head and said no to both questions.—
Jill Martin,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Travis jerked open the door and slid on his butt down a wing that was on fire.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
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The president starts out by making a visit to Liberty Arena to play basketball with some school children, then gets jerked away when the crisis happens.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Florida family of a man who was recently was deported to Venezuela despite having TPS at the time said they were shocked by the ruling and afraid they could be detained and deported at any time.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
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The case shocked the nation and Gein became a pop culture boogeyman whose crimes inspired numerous horror films, including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Psycho, and The Silence of the Lambs.—
Katie Mannion,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Earth shuddered with yet another wave of extinctions in this initial chill.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
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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
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Some even report being pinched and yanked at while in the room, staff say the pincher is the ghost of a homeless little girl who occupied the vacant prison during the Great Depression.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Annoyed Detroit ticketholders reacted Wednesday on YoungBoy fan sites after the LCA show was yanked from the tour schedule.—
Brian McCollum,
Freep.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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After going public together on social media, the pair have elicited strong reactions from people in their comments — some appalled by their age gap and others who quickly jump to their defense.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 2025
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Hollywood leaders were astonished; free speech groups were appalled; and the episode triggered a multi-day news cycle about free speech and corporate capitulation to political pressure.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The escalator lurched to a halt just after the pair got on.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
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On Halloween of 2022, just weeks into the new school year, senior Ehni Ler Htoo was making his way through the halls of Proctor High School in Utica, New York, when a fellow student lurched at him from behind, repeatedly plunging a 9-inch hunting knife into his back.—
Tonya Simpson,
ABC News,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In a subsequent phone call with a detective in South Carolina, Jackson was stunned to hear of one particular similarity between his case and theirs.—
Jean Casarez,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
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The Mercury came out with superior energy to topple the defending champs, then stunned the top seed with a desperation heave from Sami Whitcomb.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jolted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jolted. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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