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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of yank
Brendan Marks, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Each blade has a pull tab at the top of its cartridge; just give it a gentle yank to remove it.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2025
Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
In the footage, a uniformed officer is seen forcibly grabbing the female passenger’s arm and yanking her towards the aisle.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yank
Noun
Four yanks later, voila: Clayton had pulled free his prize, leaving just a single strand of nylon stuck in the Alamodome rim.
—Brendan Marks, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Each blade has a pull tab at the top of its cartridge; just give it a gentle yank to remove it.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2025
Verb
In this case, the PGA of America yanked it off without knowing what was underneath.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
In the footage, a uniformed officer is seen forcibly grabbing the female passenger’s arm and yanking her towards the aisle.
—Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
Noun
-
The pull-on sweatshirt features a half-zip design with a large, slouchy collar that adds visual appeal to an otherwise simple outfit, while the pants are made travel-friendly with an adjustable elastic waistband and deep pockets.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Oct. 2025
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Best Amazon October Prime Day Lego Deals Our favorite Lego deals this time around include a rare markdown on a detailed Lego Technic Ford Mustang set with pull-back driving action that gives kids a reason to want to play with it after building.—
Clint Davis,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
He, too, was bowled over by the film's tear-jerking finale.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Travis jerked open the door and slid on his butt down a wing that was on fire.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The ball popped up in the air and Bolton was there to grab it, except he was hit by teammate Drue Tranquill.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Oct. 2025
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Sasaki was the necessary answer on Monday night, coming in to secure the final out and avoid disaster as Freddie Freeman sprawled out to grab Tommy Edman’s final throw to first base.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Firefly makes rockets, space tugs and lunar landers.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
-
There is a tug of war underway for their hearts and minds.—
Steven P. Dinkin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Her hand twitched from the heat.—
Zuzana Říhová,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
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Any dairy farmer can tell you that biting flies are a pestilent scourge for cattle herds, which is why one so often sees cows throwing their heads, stamping their feet, flicking their tails, and twitching their skin—desperately trying to shake off the nasty creatures.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Sofia Coppola’s cult-favorite (if historically murky-at-best) 2006 film Marie Antoinette plucked the queen from history-book pages and pasted her on contemporary mood boards.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Simply plucking young stars from viewers’ social-media feeds won’t radically alter or refresh SNL.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Glenn ripped himself for allowing his team to come undone after Hall’s fumble.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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As several women listen intently, Belushi, donning a toga, rips the guitar out of Bishop's hands and smashes it into a wall.—
Mark Gray,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hollywood lurched into a fresh wave of existential panic this week after Deadline, notating an otherwise dry industry panel on Saturday, September 27, seized on a stray remark.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
2 Oct. 2025
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On Halloween of 2022, just weeks into the new school year, senior Ehni Ler Htoo was making his way through the halls of Proctor High School in Utica, New York, when a fellow student lurched at him from behind, repeatedly plunging a 9-inch hunting knife into his back.—
Tonya Simpson,
ABC News,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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