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
Relevance
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
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of yank
Erica Sloan, SELF, 20 June 2025
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
Dominic Patten, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
One of those sweepers hung up in the strike zone, and Pete Crow-Armstrong yanked it down the line and over the right field wall for a two-run homer in the fourth inning.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for yank
Noun
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
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
Verb
Addressing the latest dust-up, Kimmel — who was yanked off the air for a week last fall over remarks about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk that really rubbed MAGA the wrong way — certainly had a bevy of material to work with.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
One of those sweepers hung up in the strike zone, and Pete Crow-Armstrong yanked it down the line and over the right field wall for a two-run homer in the fourth inning.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
Noun
-
The gyuto was born when Western culinary influences became de rigeur, and chefs needed a more versatile blade shape, adept at push cuts and pull-through slicing, with a slight curve that allowed some light chopping.—
Jesse Raub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 May 2026
-
With nearly 1,000 five-star reviews, these stretchy capri pants are beloved by petite travelers for their comfy waistband, deep front pockets, cropped 21-inch inseam, and no-fuss pull-on style.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Pull the tick out gently, without jerking or ripping.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The plane jerked to a stop as two trucks passed just feet in front of its nose.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Rivera’s defense team contended that the gun went off inadvertently in a struggle after Rosen reached into the car and grabbed Rivera.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Walsh locked down Maxey out of a Sixers timeout to force a turnover, and the Celtics grabbed four offensive rebounds on one first-quarter possession, with Walsh and Scheierman accounting for three of them.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These planetesimals interact, collide, smash one another apart and/or get stuck together, and gravitationally tug on one another.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Apr. 2026
-
An all-in-one matte essential, this no-tug formula is infused with shea butter and jojoba oil, applying smoothly over fine lines on mature lips without dragging.—
Micaela English,
Glamour,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Pebbles twitched, branches waggled, cholla wiggled, weeds erupted then dried up and died.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The launch can also be viewed on NASA's social media platforms include Facebook, twitch and X as well as NASA+, the agency's streaming service.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Orion capsule will be returned to NASA's Kennedy Space Center for additional study following the mission — but before it was plucked from the ocean, the divers managed to capture images of the capsule and its heat shield underwater.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The Vikings also plucked Ryan Van Demark as a restricted free agent from the Buffalo Bills.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The mood was optimistic, described as a night-and-day shift from last year’s conference, right after MAGA had ripped through the Democratic coalition.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
One person in Atlanta has appeared in his videos as Batman villains, for free, dressed in homemade costumes that look like they were ripped straight from the television or movies.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The ladies haven’t had that problem, lurching out of the gate like the racehorses at Ascot.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
For weeks, the Strait of Hormuz has lurched between open and closed — mostly the latter — depending on the day’s escalation, underscoring how fragile a system built on global fossil fuel chokepoints has become.—
Jennifer Granholm,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
