yank

play

verb \ ˈyaŋk \

Definition of yank

intransitive verb

:to pull on something with a quick vigorous movement

transitive verb

1 :to pull or extract with a quick vigorous movement

2 :to remove in or as if in an abrupt manner

yanked the story from the evening edition

See yank defined for English-language learners

Examples of yank in a Sentence

He yanked the door shut.
She yanked on the dog's leash.

Recent Examples of yank from the Web

Private lenders have already been closing in droves amid a cull by the central bank that’s yanked one in three licenses since 2014.

— jake rudnitsky, Bloomberg.com, "Billionaire Owners Watch Otkritie Flail as Russia Reboots Banks," 25 Aug. 2017
Then Moss led off the second with a home run of his own, yanking the first pitch of his at-bat into the right field corner.

— maria torres, kansascity, "Jakob Junis’ efforts erased as eighth-inning homer dooms Royals in 3-2 loss to Rockies," 24 Aug. 2017
Ferrer had just one ace in the contest, but was able to work the court, yanking Kyrgios from side to side throughout.

— patrick brennan, Cincinnati.com, "Nick Kyrgios blasts way to W&S Open men's singles final," 19 Aug. 2017
Silver tongue An interesting gaffe this week: Destiny’s microtransaction currency appeared for the briefest of instants on Steam before being yanked down.

— hayden dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: Destiny "accidentally" pops up on Steam, Civilization goes tabletop, and Animal Farm gets a game adaptation," 18 Aug. 2017
The federal law governing education, called the Every Student Succeeds Act, requires states to spell out their plans for reducing the number of times students are punished by being yanked from the classroom.

— trisha powell crain, AL.com, "Suspensions feed the achievement gap in Alabama schools," 14 Aug. 2017
At the street level, police, firefighters and paramedics now routinely carry naloxone (brand name Narcan), the anti-overdose drug that can yank an addict back from the brink of death.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Trump declares opioid crisis is national emergency, pledges more money, attention," 11 Aug. 2017
In a dress that would have most wearers fidgeting with their straps and yanking up their necklines, BadGal Riri remains poised and effortless.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Rihanna Stylishly Avoids a Nip Slip in This Sultry Red Dress," 24 July 2017
And don’t yank your strands back into supertight ponytails or other scalp-stressing styles.

— donna freydkin, Allure, "Why Your Hair Is Shedding and What You Can Do About It," 19 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'yank.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of yank

origin unknown

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1822

See Words from the same year

yank Synonyms

Synonyms

buck, hitch, hoick, jolt, twitch, jerk

Related Words

bump, jounce, lurch, pitch, stagger; jig, jiggle, jog, joggle, shake; drag, lug, pull, tug; pluck, tweak; grab, rip, snap (up), snatch, tear, wrench, wrest, wring

Near Antonyms

implant, insert, install, instill; cram, jam, ram, stuff, wedge

yank

noun

Definition of yank

:a strong sudden pull :jerk

See yank defined for English-language learners

See yank defined for kids

Examples of yank in a Sentence

had to give the shoe a good yank to get it off

Recent Examples of yank from the Web

Yank and rescue boat crewman, Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Roberts, performed CPR on her.

— matthew dolan, Detroit Free Press, "Coast Guard swoops into at-sea rescue of unconscious woman on Lake St. Clair," 18 June 2017
The pony-tail yank was captured by the jail’s security cameras.

— gwen filosa, miamiherald, "Inmate attacks inmate over their breakup, cops say," 1 June 2017
The women are typically foreigners, excited at the idea that a strapping Yank would be interested in them.

— john f. kelly, Washington Post, "Most of us see through telephone and online scammers. Some of us don’t.," 15 May 2017
Yank the Stoker puts down his shovel as this revival of Eugene O’Neill’s expressionist drama plays its final performance.

— alexis soloski, New York Times, "What’s New in NYC Theater," 13 Apr. 2017
Such confidence makes Yank the natural leader among the other workers — well, that and his don’t-mess-with-me muscles.

— ben brantley, New York Times, "Review: A Mesmerizing ‘Hairy Ape’ Brings Existentialism to Park Avenue," 31 Mar. 2017
Despite her reaction, Yank can’t get over Mildred’s whiteness—her unstained skin seems unreal amid the murk and grief that have overrun his mind.

— hilton als, The New Yorker, "Eugene O’Neill’s Vexing Outsiders," 31 Mar. 2017

First Known Use of yank

circa 1864

yank Synonyms

Synonyms

draw, haul, jerk, pluck, tug, wrench, pull

Antonyms

push

Related Words

drag, tow; hitch, twitch; grab, snatch

Near Antonyms

heave, shove, thrust

Yank

play

noun \ ˈyaŋk \

Definition of Yank

:yankee

See Yank defined for English-language learners

See Yank defined for kids

Recent Examples of yank from the Web

Yank and rescue boat crewman, Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Roberts, performed CPR on her.

— matthew dolan, Detroit Free Press, "Coast Guard swoops into at-sea rescue of unconscious woman on Lake St. Clair," 18 June 2017
The pony-tail yank was captured by the jail’s security cameras.

— gwen filosa, miamiherald, "Inmate attacks inmate over their breakup, cops say," 1 June 2017
The women are typically foreigners, excited at the idea that a strapping Yank would be interested in them.

— john f. kelly, Washington Post, "Most of us see through telephone and online scammers. Some of us don’t.," 15 May 2017
Yank the Stoker puts down his shovel as this revival of Eugene O’Neill’s expressionist drama plays its final performance.

— alexis soloski, New York Times, "What’s New in NYC Theater," 13 Apr. 2017
Such confidence makes Yank the natural leader among the other workers — well, that and his don’t-mess-with-me muscles.

— ben brantley, New York Times, "Review: A Mesmerizing ‘Hairy Ape’ Brings Existentialism to Park Avenue," 31 Mar. 2017
Despite her reaction, Yank can’t get over Mildred’s whiteness—her unstained skin seems unreal amid the murk and grief that have overrun his mind.

— hilton als, The New Yorker, "Eugene O’Neill’s Vexing Outsiders," 31 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'Yank.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of yank

1778

YANK Defined for English Language Learners

yank

play

verb

Definition of yank for English Language Learners

: to suddenly pull (something) in a quick, forceful way
: to quickly or suddenly remove (something or someone)

yank

noun

Definition of yank for English Language Learners

: a strong, quick pull

Yank

play

noun

Definition of Yank for English Language Learners

: a person from the U.S.

YANK Defined for Kids

yank

play

noun \ ˈyaŋk \

Definition of yank for Students

:a strong sudden pull :jerk

yank

verb

Definition of yank for Students

yanked; yanking

:to pull suddenly or forcefully

I go over and yank his arm and make him sit down.
—Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Shiloh

Learn More about yank

See words that rhyme with yank Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for yank Spanish Central: Translation of yank Nglish: Translation of yank for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of yank for Arabic speakers

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