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jaywalked; jaywalking; jaywalks
: to cross a street carelessly or in an illegal manner so as to be endangered by traffic
jaywalker
noun
Examples of jaywalk in a Sentence
The police officer warned us not to jaywalk.
Recent Examples on the Web
Not anymore – and part of the reason for the change is who was overwhelmingly being cited for jaywalking.
—Andrew Torgan, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024
New York City had outlawed jaywalking since 1958 with the violation carrying a penalty of up to $250 before the new law was enacted.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Beachgoers who parked in neighborhoods jaywalked through a sea of cars across the highway to the sand.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2024
In 2021, the Kansas City city council eliminated jaywalking to reform city laws that were disproportionately applied to people of color.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1915, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to jaywalk
Dictionary Entries Near jaywalk
Cite this Entry
“Jaywalk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jaywalk. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
jaywalk
verb
jay·walk
ˈjā-ˌwȯk
: to cross a street carelessly without paying attention to traffic regulations
jaywalker
noun
Legal Definition
jaywalk
intransitive verb
jay·walk
ˈjā-ˌwȯk
: to cross a street carelessly or in an illegal manner so as to be endangered by traffic
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