jaywalking

noun

jay·​walk·​ing ˈjā-ˌwȯ-kiŋ How to pronounce jaywalking (audio)
: the act of crossing a street in an illegal, careless, or unsafe manner
Sidewalks overflow with people during lunch and rush hours, intersections become clogged, and jaywalking is a Pittsburgh tradition.Joe Grata
often used before another noun
jaywalking tickets
jaywalking laws

Examples of jaywalking 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 City Council passed legislation to allow jaywalking last month. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024 What Has Mayor Adams Said? Liz Garcia, a spokesperson for Adams, declined to expand on the mayor's decision to let the jaywalking bill become law without taking action on it. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024 Davis, who is Black, initially faced charges including resisting arrest and jaywalking, but was acquitted of all charges at trial. Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024 For example, Wallace said, police who rarely or never arrest anyone on suspicion of jaywalking can have their motives questioned for a jaywalking arrest. Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Mar. 2022 The criticisms and mea culpa come in the wake of a ProPublica report last month that private police in Cleveland’s medical area predominantly cite and criminally charge Black people for traffic violations and misdemeanors such as trespassing, jaywalking and possession of marijuana. David Armstrong, ProPublica, 15 Oct. 2020 New York City proposed a new tax on motorists, and California relaxed jaywalking restrictions and freed up land once reserved for parking spaces. Alice Li, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2020 Supporters of the legislation contend that jaywalking is arbitrarily enforced throughout California. Shwanika Narayan, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2021 This codified the modern jaywalking offense and set an example the country would soon follow. Alice Li, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jaywalking was in 1910

Dictionary Entries Near jaywalking

Cite this Entry

“Jaywalking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jaywalking. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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