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
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
Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
Rather than yanking it all the way out right away, start by moving your range just enough to expose the connections.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 Dec. 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 May, most of those grants were summarily yanked by the disapproving federal government.
—Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
Rather than yanking it all the way out right away, start by moving your range just enough to expose the connections.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
Noun
-
The days when there were only a few options for kitchen cabinet knobs and pulls are long gone.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Pointy white pumps and a crisp button-down easily elevate relaxed, pull-on pants.—
Andrea Zendejas,
Vogue,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Aisha jerked and opened her eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
-
That jerking motion, combined with detergent and water, loosens dirt from the surfaces of clothing.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Start your very own love affair with Outcrease Retinol Trifecta Serum by grabbing a bottle today, and check out some of Dermelect’s other skin correcting serums and facial oils below.—
Michelle Baricevic,
InStyle,
14 Jan. 2026
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Madison outrebounded Point Loma 36-24, with Stevens grabbing seven and Moore five.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In addition, the city’s Fourth of July fireworks show requires barge and tug services and marine safety coordination, adding to the overall cost.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Jan. 2026
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Throughout the night, the two teams continued to play a game of tug of war with neither team giving the other an inch.—
Mukala Kabongo,
Boston Herald,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At 6-foot-4, 255 pounds, Huff at his best has good bend and some twitch to his game.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Their usefulness remains an open question At the back of a conference hall at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas, a humanoid robot twitched through a preprogrammed wave for a crowd of cell phone cameras—a classic scene of high spectacle and unclear utility at CES.—
Eric Sullivan,
Scientific American,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But Haise did lead Lens to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, finished one point behind PSG in 2023, and did, to pluck a one-off game out of the ether, oversee a 2-1 win over Arteta’s Arsenal.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
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While Marty Supreme is only loosely inspired by Reisman, there are several sequences and character details plucked from his life.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ellis had stolen the ball and ripped all hope from him and his offense on that play.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
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One person was taken into custody after a fire ripped through a synagogue in Mississippi, heavily damaging the historic house of worship in what authorities say was an act of arson.—
Charlotte Kramon,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sometimes an unexpected event lurches family members into becoming caregivers.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
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The entire tech industry lurched into motion.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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