yank 1 of 2

noun

Definition of yanknext
as in pull
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force had to give the shoe a good yank to get it off

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

yank

2 of 2

verb

ˈyaŋk How to pronounce yank (audio)
1
as in to jerk
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion she stupidly yanked the wheel while I was driving

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2
as in to pull
to draw out by force or with effort yanked out a tooth with a pair of pliers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to grab
to separate or remove by forceful pulling grab the other one, and let's see if we can't yank these two grocery carriages apart

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of yank
Noun
Soy sauce, Maggi seasoning, daikon and shiitake mushroom yank pot roast into new territory. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026 No snagging Lower-quality beard combs often have the intolerable tendency to pull, yank or just rip out clumps of facial hair. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
The plan has morphed in the decade since its inception amid local opposition, and in 2024 proponents yanked a related ballot measure after opting to try and work with local regulators. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2026 Winco also yanked about 13,500 Roman Candles 8 Shot 3-Pack Firework Devices. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
  1. pull
  2. jerk
  3. pluck
  4. grab
  5. tug
  6. twitch
  7. extract
  8. rip
Noun
  • Even with the best investors, the gravitational pull is real.
    — Elia Wallen, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • In 2020, Fort Worth restriped Hemphill Street from Hammond Street to Vickery Boulevard, from five lanes to three, and adding new bike lanes, bus pull-outs, and street parking.
    — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2026
Definition of pull
Verb
  • Watching their relationship devolve (never more so than when their sperm donor, a rakish, motorcycle-driving restaurant owner played by Mark Ruffalo, enters the scene) is most definitely a tear-jerking experience, as is the film’s final scene.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 28 June 2026
  • Some were petty — like Reese committing a foul against Clark, then jerking her head back, impersonating Clark as a flopper.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 27 June 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • Patina Osaka’s ground-floor restaurant, P72, focuses on seasonal produce sourced nearby and plucked daily from the hotel’s urban garden.
    — Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
  • Eyebrows were being plucked into oblivion, bronzer was used in excess, and hair was parted deeply to one side.
    — Lauren Alberti, Allure, 6 July 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • Schieffelin, who played football last season because had used up his basketball eligibility, used his bulky frame to grab eight rebounds on an 11-point night.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
  • Once the excitement had died down, the team gathered in a circle and a player went up to Haaland, grabbed the back of his neck and kissed his cheek.
    — Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 July 2026
Definition of grab
Noun
  • The current federal and state-level policy push shaping how companies deploy AI systems is also experiencing a tug of war.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 2 July 2026
  • The tug of war is also hair-raising because China's approach puts the world's most powerful AI in the hands of bad actors, who could – and likely will – use the models to wreak havoc.
    — Craig S. Smith, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of tug
Verb
  • There is something cultish about that idea — the player who tends not to start but has the knack to appear later on with antennae twitching, ready to seize the day and alter the course of a match.
    — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 21 June 2026
  • Leon Stetson was allegedly twitching, so officers moved him away from Carrie Stetson and started to render medical aid.
    — Kellie Love, Hartford Courant, 12 June 2026
Definition of twitch
Verb
  • Once sufficient displays of submission had been extracted, would the bankrollers of the civic-education movement redirect their largesse back toward places like that?
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • Those contracts call for Next Hydrogen to design and deliver an electrolyzer that extracts tritium from heavy water, a critical process for preparing fuel used in future fusion reactors.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 June 2026
Definition of extract
Verb
  • On June 29, workers were seen installing a red carpet on the venue's signature stairs, only to rip it up a short time later.
    — Bryan West, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Four people died, including a 12-year-old boy, and several others were injured after at least three tornadoes ripped through that corner of the state.
    — Christina Zhang, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of rip

Browse Nearby Words

yammers
yank
yanked
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Cite this Entry

“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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