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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of jolted
That morning coffee that once jolted you awake now barely registers.
—
Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
Its closure has jolted the world economy.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 7 June 2026
Its closure has jolted the world economy.
—Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Kids jolted into action, performing feats of cardio that would have adults needing a lie-down.
—Veronique Greenwood, Time, 29 May 2026
And yet, each is playing with desperation to make an impact — and garner more playing time — that has jolted the Red Sox to life.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Almost exactly a year ago, a swarm of earthquakes located in the ocean off Humboldt County jolted the same area in May 2025.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 25 May 2026
Alex Hahn and Brayden Hatcher scored for a 4-3 lead, and the Longhorn offense jolted to life.
—Jack Leo, AJC.com, 24 May 2026
Iran’s closure of the strait, through which about 20% of global energy supplies transit, has jolted the world economy and sent prices for gasoline and other goods climbing.
—Darlene Superville, Fortune, 24 May 2026
Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
Its closure has jolted the world economy.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 7 June 2026
Its closure has jolted the world economy.
—Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Kids jolted into action, performing feats of cardio that would have adults needing a lie-down.
—Veronique Greenwood, Time, 29 May 2026
And yet, each is playing with desperation to make an impact — and garner more playing time — that has jolted the Red Sox to life.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Almost exactly a year ago, a swarm of earthquakes located in the ocean off Humboldt County jolted the same area in May 2025.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 25 May 2026
Alex Hahn and Brayden Hatcher scored for a 4-3 lead, and the Longhorn offense jolted to life.
—Jack Leo, AJC.com, 24 May 2026
Iran’s closure of the strait, through which about 20% of global energy supplies transit, has jolted the world economy and sent prices for gasoline and other goods climbing.
—Darlene Superville, Fortune, 24 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jolted
Verb
-
Natisha Hiedeman shook off a slow start to score 16 points for Seattle (3-11), which has lost seven straight games.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
11 June 2026
-
Swift just gave Ben Stiller a hug and shook hands with some fans.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
In the summer of 2020, former Morgan Stanley trader Adam Crawley was wandering through Indonesia, Thailand and Australia, perfecting his qigong with a man called Master YanG, when a cold message on LinkedIn jerked him back to reality.—
Rashi Shrivastava,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
We are jerked between past and present as his backstory gets filled in, one jogged memory at a time.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In Game 3, Wembanyama shocked Knicks fans by pushing Jalen Brunson to the floor without drawing a foul.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
-
On that occasion a team made up of players who had all been born in Haiti shocked an Italy team famed for its impregnable defense.—
Laurent Dubois,
The Conversation,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Later, when Tristan gently put his hand on Marke’s shoulder, the king shuddered.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
People shuddered at the sight of it, or groaned, or covered their eyes.—
Sam Kriss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Still, the crisis was remarkable in that, despite the 1-billion-plus barrels yanked from the market since February, US and European benchmark crude prices didn’t top the spike following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
16 June 2026
-
The announced attendance was a capacity 80,663, which is a little under 2,000 less than full capacity for the Giants and Jets as seats had to be yanked out down low to fit the regulation soccer field into MetLife Stadium.—
Andy Clayton,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Democratic lawmakers were predictably appalled by Pulte’s selection.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
2 June 2026
-
The in-studio audience appeared equally appalled by Consuelos' line of questioning.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
THe morning after Louisiana’s House primaries were scheduled to take place, worshippers at Mount Zion First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge were on their feet, swaying to the gospel music that vibrated through the wooden pews.—
Yvonne Wingett Sanchez,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
-
The envelope all but vibrated in her hands.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As the opening ceremony began with a flurry of speeches, the bus carrying Team Zambia lurched to a stop by the side of the road in southern Zimbabwe, 200 miles away.—
Ryan Lenora Brown,
NPR,
14 June 2026
-
In a December 2024 crash, a bus lurched onto a sidewalk outside Curley K-8 School in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood.—
Willoughby Mariano,
ProPublica,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jolted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jolted. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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