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
Amanda Seitz, NPR, 13 Feb. 2026
Chelsea Marie Struss was seen on video pushing, hitting, dropping, and yanking infants in her care.
—Vanessa Carlson Bender, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 12 Feb. 2026
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
The National Institutes of Health, part of HHS, also yanked dozens of research grants supporting studies of vaccine hesitancy last year.
—Amanda Seitz, NPR, 13 Feb. 2026
Chelsea Marie Struss was seen on video pushing, hitting, dropping, and yanking infants in her care.
—Vanessa Carlson Bender, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 12 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
Noun
-
Influence That Extends Beyond Fashion LISA’s cultural pull isn’t theoretical.—
Christopher Claxton,
Billboard,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The Texas Jazz Cats will play live music, and there will be a silent auction and a wine pull.—
Travis Pinson,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Seconds later, Exum, who was driving with his Glock pistol in his right hand, appeared to jerk the steering wheel to the left, in the direction of Martínez’s vehicle alongside them.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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The room sighs in relief a second later when Buckley reanimates, jerking and flailing like a soul possessed, grinning maniacally — all on purpose, inspired by the earlier veil snafu.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Neely tried to grab Belt-Stubblefield by the neck and take him to the ground, but the officer is the one who fell, according to the notice of claim.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Melvin Trotter walked in and began rifling through the cash register, grabbing about $100 and some food stamps.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In the seven days leading up to the giant slalom competition, Pinheiro Braathen kept feeling a tug, as if the universe was trying to tell him something.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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This reaction only happens when a massive population feels the tug of emotion all at the same time.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The film uses music, the clippity-clop of hooves and twitching furry ears for her three donkeys — Palaye, Ruperto, Palomo — to surf critical acclaim on the film festival circuit to the upcoming Academy Awards.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
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Baby Briana’s arms twitched and legs flopped against cold concrete.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pet vacuums, for example, have bristles and brush rolls that pluck and pull hair up from carpets.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
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The Angel Hold Hair Styling Cream gives expensive-looking waves and smooth, frizz-free hair that looks like you just got plucked up from a Greek vacation.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The stock ripped higher from April 2025 through August 2025, gaining nearly 120% over that stretch.—
Frank Cappelleri,
CNBC,
18 Feb. 2026
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Instead, Manso ripped the ball away from a player nearly a foot taller than him and scored on a putback.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After a moment of hesitation, Harington lurches forward and plants a passionate kiss on Turner, who responds in kind.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Feb. 2026
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Brant, who was elected in a special election in August, inherited an office already in disarray, in a county that has spent the past year lurching from one government crisis to the next.—
Nick El Hajj,
Des Moines Register,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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