Unexpected jerk

The answer to “Unexpected jerk” in the New York Times crossword is SPASM — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on January 25, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 131-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Unexpected jerk” answer

SPASM (5 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is SPASM.

Why the answer is SPASM

SPASM is the 5-letter solution that fits "Unexpected jerk" in the NYT Crossword crossword on January 25, 2026 (131-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does SPASM mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of SPASM is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

When else has “Unexpected jerk” appeared?

New York Times reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

January 25, 2026 (most recent) → SPASM. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

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