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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of yank
Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
Now the big question is whether all the regulators pulling on the buckles and loops of Boeing’s straitjacket, with a potential yank from Justice to come, will seriously delay what looked like the start of strong comeback.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024
Tomer Warschauer Nuni, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
Donald Trump is yanking federal funds from public media.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for yank
Noun
Only the snarl of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 will give away that this wagon’s packing 603 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of yank.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
Now the big question is whether all the regulators pulling on the buckles and loops of Boeing’s straitjacket, with a potential yank from Justice to come, will seriously delay what looked like the start of strong comeback.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024
Verb
Trump’s tariff imposition could jack up inflation and the Fed might yank rates back up.
—Tomer Warschauer Nuni, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
Donald Trump is yanking federal funds from public media.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
Noun
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As model efficiency improves, the gravitational pull of hyperscale clusters weakens.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
-
Such is the pull of this unassuming Midwestern city, where students, faculty, staffers and alumni migrate back and forth from the handsome University of Michigan campus to the nearby restaurants, shops and bars of Ann Arbor’s bustling downtown.—
Brandon Griggs,
CNN Money,
10 May 2025
Verb
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Earthquakes cause the ground to move in unpredictable ways, sometimes sharply jerking, other times swaying like a ship in rough seas.—
Maya Wei-Haas,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Confused Lochlan, who thoughtfully jerked off his older brother so that Saxon wouldn’t feel left out.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Combs returns to the scene shortly thereafter and appears to grab at the phone.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
-
The Pineapple Express actress allegedly grabbed and struck van Ree's arm in an altercation at a Seattle airport.—
Alex Gurley,
People.com,
13 May 2025
Noun
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The tug served multiple purposes beyond moving lumber, including transporting railway cars.—
Todd Richmond,
Twin Cities,
16 May 2025
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The tug was one of the largest and most powerful on the Great Lakes, with a 670-horsepower engine.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 May 2025
Verb
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Riley Robinson/Staff A wind blows down the border, twitching pale dry grass.—
Riley Robinson,
Christian Science Monitor,
6 May 2025
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If their tail starts twitching or their ears are flattened, then they may be overstimulated, which can lead to aggression.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Adams plucked out Shakespeare’s lines and mounted them like gems in a finely wrought score.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
13 May 2025
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Companies are still developing mining vehicles, but one method would be to use large tractor-sized machines that drive across the sea floor plucking up nodules and transporting them via long pipes to a ship on the surface.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
8 May 2025
Verb
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An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of ripping down the flag.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2025
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Astronomers have caught a black hole far from the center of its home galaxy ripping a star to shreds — providing, for the first time, direct evidence of a rogue supermassive black hole in action.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
9 May 2025
Verb
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And now that governments in many rich countries have sharply lurched to the right and taken more skeptical stances on aid, this industry is collapsing.—
Zainab Usman,
Foreign Affairs,
5 May 2025
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German Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz was one of the first European leaders to grasp the long-term implications of the American lurch toward authoritarianism.—
David Axe,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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