as in rough
marked by a series of sharp quick motions
filmed in a herky-jerky style that will give many moviegoers a headache
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Recent Examples of herky-jerky
The single thread throughout this herky-jerky tale is, oddly enough, the novels of Charles Dickens, taught by James’ grandfather, absorbed by James and quoted endlessly by Irving.
—
The Know, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
His quickness and herky-jerky rhythm define his game.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
The Bone Temple is in many ways a more conventional film than 28 Years Later; DaCosta thankfully doesn’t try to re-create the herky-jerky rhythms and mixed-media montages of Boyle’s picture.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Primo left the seams showing on his best beats, deftly combining chunky sample chops and simple, swinging, heavy-bag drums into herky-jerky, screw-face symphonies.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2026
The way that life unfolds in herky-jerky, unpredictable rhythms informs the experimental approach that Dijon, a 33-year-old producer-singer, takes to R&B.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
If the segues in Scene don’t feel haphazard and herky-jerky, this is in no small part because of the role addiction plays as connective tissue between sections, a kind of leitmotif.
—Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
In a throwback to the warts-and-all silliness of the family’s legendary MTV reality show, The Osbournes, Coming Home appears to lean into the domestic comedy of the Osbourne clan, opening with a jittery Ozzy begging Sharon to stop driving in a herky-jerky manner.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
The lineup of dishes and sauces and combos verges on overwhelming; they’re presented in a mix of typefaces and colors, and punctuated by herky-jerky photo animations—a waving hand holding a soft-serve twist, spidery fingers with brass nail extensions used in the traditional Thai dance Fawn Leb.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
The Know, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
His quickness and herky-jerky rhythm define his game.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
The Bone Temple is in many ways a more conventional film than 28 Years Later; DaCosta thankfully doesn’t try to re-create the herky-jerky rhythms and mixed-media montages of Boyle’s picture.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Primo left the seams showing on his best beats, deftly combining chunky sample chops and simple, swinging, heavy-bag drums into herky-jerky, screw-face symphonies.
—Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2026
The way that life unfolds in herky-jerky, unpredictable rhythms informs the experimental approach that Dijon, a 33-year-old producer-singer, takes to R&B.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
If the segues in Scene don’t feel haphazard and herky-jerky, this is in no small part because of the role addiction plays as connective tissue between sections, a kind of leitmotif.
—Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
In a throwback to the warts-and-all silliness of the family’s legendary MTV reality show, The Osbournes, Coming Home appears to lean into the domestic comedy of the Osbourne clan, opening with a jittery Ozzy begging Sharon to stop driving in a herky-jerky manner.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 1 Oct. 2025
The lineup of dishes and sauces and combos verges on overwhelming; they’re presented in a mix of typefaces and colors, and punctuated by herky-jerky photo animations—a waving hand holding a soft-serve twist, spidery fingers with brass nail extensions used in the traditional Thai dance Fawn Leb.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herky-jerky
Adjective
-
Junior starter Colin Jack settled in after a rough third inning to pitch a complete game for Batavia (9-9-1, 5-3).—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
It's garnered a reputation for rough conditions for people in custody and guards alike over its history.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And the uneven availability cost him a chance to fully adjust to his new role within the organization.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Heavy rain can wash away grass seed and cause uneven growth or bare spots in your lawn.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And when the driver knows how to accelerate, lane-change and brake smoothly, without any jerky movements or pitching—like our driver, then the transfer is that much more pleasant.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Neighbors greet each other with sudden smiles, a jerky wave, then pass in silence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Business major Andrea Lui found the chatbot’s voice to be surprisingly human, but the conversation felt choppy with odd pauses.—
Jocelyn Gecker,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The ad-sales shuffle marks the second choppy handoff of executives who oversee one of the company’s key sources of revenue.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Stewart had a bumpy news cycle after the Blogoslawski firing and release of the Crumbie memo.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
-
Participants will board a 4-wheel-drive for a bumpy 13-mile tour with frequent stops for pictures, sketches and questions.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Herky-jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herky-jerky. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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