jerk around

verb

jerked around; jerking around; jerks around

transitive verb

: to treat badly especially by being underhanded or inconsistent

Examples of jerk around in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The shocking news out of this summer’s Olympic break-dancing competition in Paris wasn’t that a female Australian competitor had hopped and jerked around like Uma Thurman being revived from a drug coma in Pulp Fiction. Christian Schneider, National Review, 24 Oct. 2024 Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons Category: Starter to star After a year where the former lottery pick was jerked around in regard to minutes, role, and even on-court responsibilities, Ivey is now set to enter his third year, finally with some stability attached to his name. Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024 The camera jerks around to emphasize the Captain’s growing panic. Terry Nguyen, Vulture, 19 May 2024 For a population like Gaza’s, there’s not enough food, people have been jerked around from place to place. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 8 May 2024 The guy in the center seat where the stringer was tied off noticed it was being jerked around. Idaho Statesman, 2 Mar. 2016 The design stopped us from being jerked around when dogs were pulling, and the padded handle was comfortable to grip, as well. Camryn Rabideau, Peoplemag, 16 Jan. 2024 One senses that these men are accustomed to being jerked around by the state. Alejandro Chacoff, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jerk around was in 1932

Dictionary Entries Near jerk around

Cite this Entry

“Jerk around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jerk%20around. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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