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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to pull
to draw out by force or with effort
yanked out a tooth with a pair of pliers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of yank
Stephen Pyne, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
Only the snarl of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 will give away that this wagon’s packing 603 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of yank.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 13 Aug. 2025
Police said Sapp yanked his arms from behind his body to the front and took off.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yank
Noun
With tugs and yanks and positive feedback, a planetary makeover began that is rampant today.
—Stephen Pyne, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
Only the snarl of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 will give away that this wagon’s packing 603 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of yank.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
Verb
During one team session, the offense had trouble getting set up, and Morehead was yanked.
Dylan Wittke and Max Shikenjanski appear to be battling for the spot behind Lindsey.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 13 Aug. 2025
Police said Sapp yanked his arms from behind his body to the front and took off.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
Noun
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They aren’t constrained by attention spans or the pull of conformity.—
Neeraj Gulati,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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Architect and San Diego native Mark Silva couldn’t resist the pull.—
Jen Murphy,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Perry appears to jerk uncontrollably while being lifted into the sky in footage posted after her Raleigh, North Carolina, performance on August 17.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
18 Aug. 2025
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However, the tidal wave of claims – many of which turned out to either be false, or simply lacking evidentiary support – caused an over-correction across the legal system that was akin to jerking the steering wheel the moment your tires begin to slip on ice.—
Lauryn Overhultz , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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But Sunday, unfortunately for him, slipped away quickly as World No. 1 grabbed his fifth season title.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
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Four prisoners had to take turns using a bunk bed just to grab a few hours of sleep.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, Japan's Defense Ministry reported recent Russian naval movements around the country, where a formation of three vessels—a submarine, a frigate, and a rescue tug—was spotted passing through the Tsushima Strait between Wednesday and Thursday, local time.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
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Images from Japanese public broadcaster NHK showed tugs spraying water on the front of the New Orleans.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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And according to researchers at the University of British Columbia, the part of the brainstem involved in the control of sleep cycles is underdeveloped in puppies, leading them to act out their dreams with twitching and growling more often.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
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Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.—
Emma R. Hasson,
Scientific American,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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There are scenes that look like they could have been plucked directly from the original film.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
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Interiors feel plucked from another time period—freestanding cast iron tubs, brown antique furniture, Victorian brass bed frames—and still manage to be quietly current.—
Katharine Sohn,
Architectural Digest,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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His left leg, almost ripped from his body, was held in place only by thin tissue.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
18 Aug. 2025
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Nothing rips me out of the ‘cassette futurism’ of this franchise more than clips from a movie that released in 2002.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Weather experts on the Leeward Islands — which include the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the Bahamas — were keeping close watch midweek as Erin lurched toward the Caribbean.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
13 Aug. 2025
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At about a thousand feet, Earhart took over, and the plane immediately began lurching and wobbling.—
Laurie Gwen Shapiro,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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