plural yo-yos
1
: a thick grooved double disk with a string attached to its center axle that is made to fall and rise to the hand by unwinding and rewinding on the string
2
: a condition or situation marked by regular fluctuations from one extreme to another
3
: a stupid or foolish person
: shifting back and forth or up and down uncertainly or unexpectedly
yo-yoed; yo-yoing
: to move from one position to another repeatedly : fluctuate
the stock price yo-yoed
Synonyms of yo-yo
Examples of yo-yo in a Sentence
Noun
some yo-yo cut the electricity off while I still had unsaved data
those yo-yos who insist upon using their cell phones while speeding down the highway
Recent Examples on the Web
Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Russell and Hamilton swapped the lead several times on the first few laps, the two taking turns like a yo-yo leading the early race.
—ABC News, 13 Mar. 2026
Matt Porter, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2023
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 15 June 2026
Norris was the most expansive on what drivers actually want (proper slipstreaming, cars on each other’s bumpers, yo-yo overtaking gone).
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for yo-yo
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Noun
The yo-yo movements also hit the bond market Thursday, as Treasury yields jumped in the morning with the price of oil and then eased back.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
Russell and Hamilton swapped the lead several times on the first few laps, the two taking turns like a yo-yo leading the early race.
—ABC News, 13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Related: It’s been a yo-yo season for the Bruins’ Jakub Lauko.
—Matt Porter, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2023
Verb
Mercury's tight orbit around the sun sees it yo-yo back and forth between the evening and morning sky throughout the year.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 15 June 2026
Norris was the most expansive on what drivers actually want (proper slipstreaming, cars on each other’s bumpers, yo-yo overtaking gone).
—Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for yo-yo
Cite this Entry
“Yo-yo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yo-yo. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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