as in to play (on or upon)
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Recent Examples of jerk around
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.
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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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jerk around
Verb
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The raptors’ behavior underscores the complex relationship between fire and wildlife, revealing how some species adapt and even manipulate their surroundings to thrive.Scott Travers, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
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China can gather data on Americans or manipulate the content on TikTok to shape U.S. opinion, the government argues.Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Republicans are in a heated internal conversation on whether to use one — or two — legislative vehicles to implement Trump's immigration and tax reform policies.Marc Caputo, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025
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The Los Angeles Dodgers roster is nearing completion for the 2025 season, but center field could use an upgrade.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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During the trial, charges of pimping a minor older than 17, human trafficking, pimping and pandering were dismissed along with sentencing enhancements for the personal use of a gun.City News Service, Orange County Register, 8 Jan. 2025
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Two suits against Tim Ballard have already been dismissed and a third is headlined by a woman convicted of pimping minor children.Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2024
Verb
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These are just a few examples of community engagement, which businesses can leverage for mutual benefit and impact.Lis Anderson, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
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Trump's comments on Greenland are likely to remain talking points for Kremlin propagandists and could be leveraged by Moscow for its imperial aims.Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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An investigation has been launched after a viral social media post allegedly showed a Border Patrol agent mistreating a K9 at the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint in Texas.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025
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The film is in part about how men get away with mistreating women around them.Nicholas Kristof, The Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Saturday afternoon, officers responded to a call reporting a coyote pup being abused in the 10800 block of South Sacramento Avenue by three males, Chicago police said, Officers discovered a dead pup on private property and the coyote was removed..Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025
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In other words, the steadfast commitment to celebrating diversity meant allowing Pakistani men to abuse white girls without consequence.The Editors, National Review, 14 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near jerk around
Cite this Entry
“Jerk around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jerk%20around. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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