jerk around

Idioms  

1. Take unfair advantage of, manipulate or deceive, as in Leave me alone; quit jerking me around! or He was jerking you around when he said he was home all evening. [Slang; mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

He was also something of a jerk around women.

From New York Times

This intensifies as the voice shifts around the room, compelling Winston and the black-suited interrogators to jerk around to face it.

From Los Angeles Times

The film vividly tells the story of the lesser-known passages in Ailes’s life, including his foreshadowing work as president of the cable channel America’s Talking and his later, unsuccessful effort to jerk around the Hudson Valley town of Cold Spring when he moved there.

From The Guardian

If the trip is another failure, internal critics and some in Congress will push for more pressure on North Korea, more sanctions, a resumption of U.S.-South Korea military exercises, and other measures to show Kim he can’t jerk around the United States.

From Washington Post

Befriend better people who don’t jerk around your other friends.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• bilk
• con
• deceive
• defraud
• delude
• dupe
• fleece
• hoodwink
• mislead
• swindle
• trick
• victimize