yank

1 of 3

verb

yanked; yanking; yanks

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

yank

2 of 3

noun (1)

: a strong sudden pull : jerk

Yank

3 of 3

noun (2)

: yankee

Examples of yank in a Sentence

Verb He yanked the door shut. She yanked on the dog's leash. Noun (1) had to give the shoe a good yank to get it off
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
Meta yanked these policies after Reuters exposed them. Mark R. Weaver, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025 Barbosa has become the subject of internet chatter after video surfaced of her being yanked from a car by plainclothes ICE agents. Mikelle Street, Them., 26 Aug. 2025
Noun
Visitors to China will want to lighten their grip, while folks introducing themselves to Germans should know to stop after one firm downward yank. Chris Ciolli, AFAR Media, 15 July 2025 Running on a level surface (in supportive shoes—see above!) can serve as plenty a cardio workout without the extra yank on your plantar fascia. Erica Sloan, SELF, 20 June 2025
Noun
Visitors to China will want to lighten their grip, while folks introducing themselves to Germans should know to stop after one firm downward yank. Chris Ciolli, AFAR Media, 15 July 2025 Running on a level surface (in supportive shoes—see above!) can serve as plenty a cardio workout without the extra yank on your plantar fascia. Erica Sloan, SELF, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for yank

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1822, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (1)

circa 1864, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1778, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of yank was in 1778

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yank. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

yank

1 of 3 noun
: a strong sudden pull : jerk

yank

2 of 3 verb
: to pull suddenly or forcefully

Yank

3 of 3 noun
: yankee

More from Merriam-Webster on yank

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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