1
as in rough
marked by a series of sharp quick motions
made jerky progress walking with the new crutches
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stupid
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
he's acting jerky just to get people's attention
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jerky
Go slowly in a standard car or get your hands on a four-wheeled-drive vehicle for this jerky ride.
—
Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
His steps were short, and the movement of his body was jerky, like a hamster’s.
—Caleb Crain, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Stress, excitement or tiredness can set off an unwanted, uncontrollable volley of sudden jerky movements and/or a spew of four-letter and other words.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
One-pedal driving, where the motors regeneratively brake in proportion to the amount the driver lifts their foot from the throttle pedal, is far too jerky and abrupt, particularly to initial inputs.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for jerky
Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
His steps were short, and the movement of his body was jerky, like a hamster’s.
—Caleb Crain, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Stress, excitement or tiredness can set off an unwanted, uncontrollable volley of sudden jerky movements and/or a spew of four-letter and other words.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
One-pedal driving, where the motors regeneratively brake in proportion to the amount the driver lifts their foot from the throttle pedal, is far too jerky and abrupt, particularly to initial inputs.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for jerky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerky
Adjective
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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
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Nothing gets Trump angrier than when one of his underlings is caught doing something stupid on videotape.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
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But to those going to an upcoming show, for the love of God please shut up when Raye is sharing this story; a quiet room isn’t a license to yell stupid nonsense.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
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The manic, madcap, chaotic and silly stunt show was heavy on exposition to the delight of the fans who cheered the entrance of every One Piece character and laughed at the downfall of paper-thin goon.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
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And so a very silly conversation leads to a series of positions that are far from frivolous.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
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If Florida is worried about China’s rise, dismantling educational and cultural exchanges is a foolish response.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
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But the Stars should be trying to goad the Wild into foolish penalties.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Bringing his bag of insane tricks and witty banter to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre for two nights on May 8 and 9, Willman’s crowd work, storytelling and intricate tricks are inspired by everyday life.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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Just this insane profanity-laden tirade that went on and on and on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the annals of English football, this shoots close to the top of the list of ridiculous moments, along with Troy Deeney’s mad goal for Watford in the Championship play-offs in 2013 and Sergio Aguero’s Premier League title-winning strike for Manchester City in 2012.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Here's our list of the five best space prison movies (in no particular order, don't get mad at the numbers).—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jerky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerky. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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