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
Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026
Leaphorn yanks the jug his way (despite being cuffed) and is able to put the filter packet down his pants.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Apr. 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 first episode was set to air March 22, but Paul said ABC yanked the season on March 19 after TMZ published the video of her appearing to attack Mortensen in 2023.
—Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 8 Apr. 2026
Leaphorn yanks the jug his way (despite being cuffed) and is able to put the filter packet down his pants.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
Noun
-
The nylon-spandex fabric allows for some stretch while being lightweight enough for Florida spring, and the pull-on waistband is convenient and has some give.—
Kayla Becker,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Apr. 2026
-
But for many of the women who were under Bateman’s pull, the prophet’s arrest did not end their relationship.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Tony Fauci was not just jerking the country around.—
David Blumenthal,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Cynthia proceeds to call Porsha, and Angela grabs the phone, executing an amazing assist like her baller husband, and forces Porsha to speak directly to Kelli.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
-
As soon as the door opens, Sadie jumps up to greet Koch before darting off to grab a toy, bounding back toward Koch with her tail still wagging.—
Shafiq Najib,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In space, the gravitational tugs from passing planets act like those currents.—
Patrick M. Shober,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
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The tug reportedly struck an object and was taking on water.—
Tiffany Watson,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Curry’s body began convulsing and twitching with increasing severity, consistent with him sustaining a traumatic brain injury from being punched in the face, documents state.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Ten miles away, members of the Navy's SEAL Team Six plucked the missing weapons system officer from the mountainside.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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The United States pulled off a daring rescue of two aviators whose fighter jet was shot down by Iran, plucking the pilot from behind enemy lines before setting off a complicated extraction of the second service member who hid deep in the mountains as Tehran called for Iranians to help capture him.—
Seung Min Kim,
Fortune,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hall ripped a two-out double to left field scoring Higgins.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Schiller's sister ripped the medical tubes from his arms.—
Troy Roberts,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile the Caliente Range — those mountains just to the west — are lurching the opposite way.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Don’t gag, don’t cry — and my stomach lurched.—
Kate Crane,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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