1
: one that yawns
2
: something that causes boredom
the show was a real yawner
Synonyms
Examples of yawner in a Sentence
The show was a real yawner.
even die-hard opera fans are finding this production to be a real yawner
Recent Examples on the Web
Will Alabama turn the SEC race into a yawner?
—
Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Sep. 2022
The Browns make this one a yawner.
—Dan Labbe, cleveland, 29 Nov. 2020
The first race was a bit of a yawner with Joey Logano holding off Christopher Bell to win by a scant 0.018 seconds.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2023
With all that going on, Joel Embiid’s 42 against New Orleans Monday was a yawner.
—Bob Ryan, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Jan. 2023
In a real yawner of a study, researchers found that chimps can catch yawns from humans, which suggests chimps may have the ability to empathize with a variety of creatures in a way that's similar to our own.
—Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 12 Mar. 2014
Psychologists have claimed that contagious yawning is linked to empathy in humans—those who yawn back are thought to be empathizing with the initial yawner’s feelings of boredom, fatigue or stress.
—Erica Tennenhouse, Discover Magazine, 22 Mar. 2018
If the stakes had not been so high—with election deniers on the ballot and the GOP running as the party of destruction—this would have been seen as a yawner of a midterm.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 28 Nov. 2022
This one might not have been quite as ugly as the Colts-Broncos yawner that had famed play-by-play announcer Al Michaels launching zingers and creating a buzz on social media.
—Andrew Seligman, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Oct. 2022
Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Sep. 2022
The Browns make this one a yawner.
—Dan Labbe, cleveland, 29 Nov. 2020
The first race was a bit of a yawner with Joey Logano holding off Christopher Bell to win by a scant 0.018 seconds.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2023
With all that going on, Joel Embiid’s 42 against New Orleans Monday was a yawner.
—Bob Ryan, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Jan. 2023
In a real yawner of a study, researchers found that chimps can catch yawns from humans, which suggests chimps may have the ability to empathize with a variety of creatures in a way that's similar to our own.
—Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 12 Mar. 2014
Psychologists have claimed that contagious yawning is linked to empathy in humans—those who yawn back are thought to be empathizing with the initial yawner’s feelings of boredom, fatigue or stress.
—Erica Tennenhouse, Discover Magazine, 22 Mar. 2018
If the stakes had not been so high—with election deniers on the ballot and the GOP running as the party of destruction—this would have been seen as a yawner of a midterm.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 28 Nov. 2022
This one might not have been quite as ugly as the Colts-Broncos yawner that had famed play-by-play announcer Al Michaels launching zingers and creating a buzz on social media.
—Andrew Seligman, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Oct. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'yawner.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near yawner
Cite this Entry
“Yawner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yawner. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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