1
as in collisions
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 shocks
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 shakes
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 jerks
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 appalls
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
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Recent Examples of jolts
Óscar Martínez, The Dial, 30 Apr. 2026
The jolts are muted, the setpieces are drab, and the gore is all too literally kept under wraps.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026
Then, as the pandemic waned, in 2023 and early ’24, came two jolts to the system – federal pandemic-era assistance ended, pulling food and food-related funding away from charities, and the number of people seeking food continued to grow.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
Two of America’s largest tech companies suffered stunning defeats in court this week, sustaining early jolts in what could prove to be a seismic shift in how social media operates amid a new landscape of legal risk.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
When people refresh social media feeds or win a round of a video game, their brains get dopamine jolts that train them to seek that hit again and again.
—Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
This could cause jolts in the energy markets.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
Literal and figurative pain points included ensuring each piece properly conducting electricity, rigging every square with mechanical keyboard switches to facilitate the connections, and countless unintentional jolts.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 26 Feb. 2026
Both of those moments were jolts.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Feb. 2026
Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 28 Apr. 2026
Inflammation and the immune system Being doused in cold water jolts your sympathetic nervous system into gear.
—Lauryn Higgins, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
An ice bath, by contrast, jolts the whole nervous system—not just the vagus nerve, Tracey wrote in an op-ed published in 2024.
—Clarissa Brincat, Popular Science, 25 Sep. 2025
Ice water jolts the nervous system.
—Dayanne S. Antonio, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
That week, nobody talked about anything but the lead-up to the big challenge in which Bukele and La Choly would see who could withstand the jolts of that bumpy musical fairground ride, which tries to shake off its passengers.
—Óscar Martínez, The Dial, 30 Apr. 2026
The jolts are muted, the setpieces are drab, and the gore is all too literally kept under wraps.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026
Then, as the pandemic waned, in 2023 and early ’24, came two jolts to the system – federal pandemic-era assistance ended, pulling food and food-related funding away from charities, and the number of people seeking food continued to grow.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
Two of America’s largest tech companies suffered stunning defeats in court this week, sustaining early jolts in what could prove to be a seismic shift in how social media operates amid a new landscape of legal risk.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
When people refresh social media feeds or win a round of a video game, their brains get dopamine jolts that train them to seek that hit again and again.
—Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
This could cause jolts in the energy markets.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 4 Mar. 2026
Literal and figurative pain points included ensuring each piece properly conducting electricity, rigging every square with mechanical keyboard switches to facilitate the connections, and countless unintentional jolts.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 26 Feb. 2026
Both of those moments were jolts.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
Blue light jolts us awake, blocking our body’s impulse to produce melatonin when the sun fades.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 28 Apr. 2026
Inflammation and the immune system Being doused in cold water jolts your sympathetic nervous system into gear.
—Lauryn Higgins, Time, 13 Nov. 2025
An ice bath, by contrast, jolts the whole nervous system—not just the vagus nerve, Tracey wrote in an op-ed published in 2024.
—Clarissa Brincat, Popular Science, 25 Sep. 2025
Ice water jolts the nervous system.
—Dayanne S. Antonio, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jolts
Noun
-
Altogether, such collisions highlight the risk of space debris to future lunar missions.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
1 May 2026
-
Mountain House saw 12 collisions last month alone, which Osborn said is a high number for a small community.—
Charlie Lapastora,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The worry looming over the economy Earlier this month, Dimon had also warned in his shareholder letter that the war in Iran risks oil and commodity price shocks that could keep inflation sticky and push interest rates higher than the market now expects.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The move comes amid regional fallout in the Gulf amid the Iran war, which has triggered one of the worst oil shocks in history.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Accessories include a cookie that shakes when Grogu performs the Force move and a charge accessory that activates lights, sounds, and prompts a Grogu response.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Hospitals that neglect to provide certain standards of care, such as protein shakes to treat malnutrition or an unhealthy weight loss, could open themselves up to possible legal liability.—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Ross’s video does not show if the SUV made contact with him, as the camera angle jerks up to the sky.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In Guyana’s capital city of Georgetown, neighbors can still hear the thumps.—
Tyler Jett,
Des Moines Register,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Back at Big Thunder, there will be other fresh surprises, including 2,000 bats added in the approach to the ride’s rainbow caverns.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The rest of my day included more life-affirming surprises.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hotels used in talks last week have already asked patrons leave as the country shudders into another quasi-lockdown.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Everytime one goes by, the car shudders.—
Leon Hale,
Houston Chronicle,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Maden takes thee wine bottle from him and the officers reach for his wrists but Brown resists and yanks his arms back, the video shows.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Leaphorn yanks the jug his way (despite being cuffed) and is able to put the filter packet down his pants.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jolts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jolts. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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