yank 1 of 2

noun

Definition of yanknext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

yank

2 of 2

verb

ˈyaŋk How to pronounce yank (audio)
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

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2
as in to pull
to draw out by force or with effort yanked out a tooth with a pair of pliers

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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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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
Noun
Soy sauce, Maggi seasoning, daikon and shiitake mushroom yank pot roast into new territory. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026 Effectively, this turned the workspace into a yank buffer along with all your documents, and undoing any destructive editing operation thus became merely another cut and paste. — Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
McCullough has left himself open to criticism by yanking several starting pitchers early in games, citing data that starters aren’t as effective when facing a batting order for a third time. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026 The catch is that the number of neutrons in the universe plummeted during the game, like chairs being yanked out of line. — Cara Giovanetti, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
  1. pull
  2. jerk
  3. pluck
  4. grab
  5. tug
  6. twitch
  7. extract
  8. rip
Noun
  • Eco effort This feels front of mind, from the pull-chain shower to reusable metal water bottles offered at check-in.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • With a manuscript also acting as a central character, the challenge was turning the pull of Verity’s words into something visual.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of pull
Verb
  • During the test, Linton jerked and twitched in what prosecutors described as an attempt to fake a seizure.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • And like any great sitcom, Friends runs the gamut from numbing brain-rot to tear-jerking sentimentality.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • At their most basic, these may consist of just two elements, such as a stone and a sheet of raw steel—that is, an element plucked from the natural world and one of industrial manufacture.
    — Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Rice and Schlittler were both raised among Red Sox fans in Massachusetts and went to college in New England before getting plucked by the Yankees out of Boston’s backyard in baseball’s amateur draft.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • Two teenage suspects, ages 14 and 15, allegedly grabbed a necklace from the victim’s neck after walking by them, according to police.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Or, just head down to one of the bars by the pool or grab a fresh juice.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of grab
Noun
  • Electric tugs docked alongside an LNG carrier being loaded at the LNG Canada docks in Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada, on Monday, July 14, 2025.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • There's Teddy, of course, who may be warming up to visitors one kiss — and possibly one hair tug — at a time.
    — Wakisha Bailey, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of tug
Verb
  • During the test, Linton jerked and twitched in what prosecutors described as an attempt to fake a seizure.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • When a sensor detected the left or right forelimb moving, the hub sent a limb-specific pulse through the body that reached an implant on the corresponding hind leg, which stimulated the sciatic nerve and made that leg twitch.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of twitch
Verb
  • Much of the fear stems from Paramount's pledge to extract more than $6 billion in annual synergies within three years of closing the merger.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • When Blue Cross Blue Shield recently published research suggesting that hospitals use artificial intelligence tools to extract more money from insurers without providing additional care, people were mad.
    — Leah Pierson, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of extract
Verb
  • Why small home upgrades matter now Big-ticket home projects have gotten expensive, and most people cannot rip out a bathroom or rewire a living room just to make Wednesday feel a little better.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • To his right, Morello’s teenage son Roman, who ripped out a solo with his electric guitar behind his back, the instrument daubed with a call to action for homeless rights.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of rip

Browse Nearby Words

yammers
yank
yanked
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Cite this Entry

“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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