1
as in yanked
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion
I jerked to one side to avoid getting hit jerked the leash to get the dog's attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in twitched
to make jerky or restless movements
you've got to quit jerking, or the barber will nick you by accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in shook
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
the car jerked with every shift of the gear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jerked
The plane jerked to a stop as two trucks passed just feet in front of its nose.
—
Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 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
Aisha jerked and opened her eyes.
—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
Allen, who is 6 foot 5 and 237 pounds, jerked his head back in an effort to draw a roughing penalty on Bolton.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
Travis jerked open the door and slid on his butt down a wing that was on fire.
—Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
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
If Hall jerked too violently, let alone tried to run, the wire would pull the trigger, firing the shotgun Kiritsis had pointed at the back of Hall’s head.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 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
Aisha jerked and opened her eyes.
—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
Allen, who is 6 foot 5 and 237 pounds, jerked his head back in an effort to draw a roughing penalty on Bolton.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
Travis jerked open the door and slid on his butt down a wing that was on fire.
—Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2025
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
If Hall jerked too violently, let alone tried to run, the wire would pull the trigger, firing the shotgun Kiritsis had pointed at the back of Hall’s head.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerked
Verb
-
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson could’ve yanked him for the veteran Harrison Barnes.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Jackson’s music was also yanked from several radio stations in New Zealand, but eventually re-added.—
Amelia McDonell-Parry,
Rolling Stone,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Pebbles twitched, branches waggled, cholla wiggled, weeds erupted then dried up and died.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Kearse twitched briefly after the lethal drugs began entering his system but stopped moving several minutes later.—
Freida Frisaro,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Minutes into the execution, the team warden briefly flicked Hitchcock‘s face and yelled his name twice and shook his shoulders.—
Jeffrey Collins,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Bukele shook off his delusions of being the emperor of social media and abandoned his bullying tactics in the face of the biggest bully.—
Óscar Martínez,
The Dial,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Wembanyama lurched forward, toppled and slammed the right side of his face on the floor.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
When robots lurched, slipped, and occasionally froze mid-stride at the 2026 Beijing half-marathon on April 19, the internet quickly turned the spectacle into a meme.—
Ni Tao,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In an over hourlong debate Tuesday at Pomona College’s Bridges Auditorium, eight candidates running for California governor sparred over health care and tossed jabs just days before Californians can begin voting early in the state's primary election.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
They got tossed into the garbage also after a Stop Sale.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
At least the elevator still creaked and shuddered, as in the old days, finally trembling open on the eighth floor.—
Rick Bragg,
Southern Living,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Later, when Tristan gently put his hand on Marke’s shoulder, the king shuddered.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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That’s when Talley allegedly pulled the pistol out from under a blanket, shooting one officer in the face and a second in the chin, authorities said.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The Dodgers pulled within 2-1 in the eighth inning when Freddie Freeman singled with one out to put runners on the corners and Smith delivered an RBI single to right field off of right-hander Michael Petersen.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One woman ordered some home furniture while two children fidgeted nearby.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Between each dance was an excruciating silence during which network-TV producers monitored and reset their equipment while the men fidgeted onstage like excitable children.—
Rebecca Jennings,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jerked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerked. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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