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clean and jerk

American

noun

Weightlifting.

a lift in which a barbell is raised from the floor to shoulder height where it is brought to rest and then, with a lunging movement by the lifter, is thrust overhead so the arms extend straight in the air, being held in this position for a short, specified length of time.

Etymology

Origin of clean and jerk

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"It's Olympic lifts we're doing - clean and jerk, snatches, squats, the lot," says men's lead Hammy McMillan.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

Both the snatch and clean and jerk lifts were personal bests for Campbell.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2024

Canadian Nicolas Vachon opted for the heaviest weight in the clean and jerk of 187kg and also looked to have seized the gold, only to drop the bar behind him at the final moment.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 1, 2022

She was finished at halftime, essentially, without any points to carry into the second discipline, the clean and jerk.

From Washington Post • Aug. 2, 2021

A very good 197-lb weight lifter lifted 192 kg in a move called the clean and jerk.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023