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
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
Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2025
The administration previously yanked, and then reinstated, visas at an array of universities for more than 4,700 students this spring.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 19 June 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
An American flag is seen being yanked down from a flagpole and set on fire outside a federal building in Seattle on Tuesday.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2025
The administration previously yanked, and then reinstated, visas at an array of universities for more than 4,700 students this spring.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
Noun
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Two atoms of oxygen bound together as oxygen gas have a pull similarly as strong as a single atom on its own.—
Laura Poppick,
Rolling Stone,
30 June 2025
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These hanging pieces resist the pull of gravity and tradition alike.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Then, of course, there were the jerking motions and the cognitive decline.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
5 May 2025
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More often than not, the jerking movements to get free only bring the meal into contact with more points of sticky contact.—
Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 June 2025
Verb
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One four-person crew in a 24-foot open-bow MasterCraft grabbed their life jackets, wisely abandoned the boat and swam to shore.—
George Skelton,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2025
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Watching robots like Barb and Peter grab your order in just seconds is pretty impressive, but what's even more remarkable is that this technology is already making shopping quicker, safer, and a whole lot easier.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 June 2025
Noun
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Give one of the center leaves of the pineapple a firm but gentle tug.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
22 June 2025
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Ripe tomatoes should easily come off the plant with a gentle tug.—
Sheryl Geerts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 June 2025
Verb
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Animated objects tend to activate the deeply rooted human impulse to perceive things that move as alive—a tendency harnessed to great effect in the uncannily twitching wires of Pol Bury’s reliefs or Robert Breer’s creeping domes.—
Marina Isgro,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
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The early symptoms include muscle weakness, cramps, twitching, stiff muscles, speech challenges, trouble swallowing, and drooling.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Not long after that, Van was booked to face Kevin Borjas on a Dana White’s Contender Series Card, but the UFC plucked him from that event to face Zhalgas Zhumagulov in June 2024.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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Today, Horowitz’s startup, AMP, based in Louisville, Colo., has developed a technology that could move the needle—by using AI to pluck recyclables out of society’s vast tide of garbage far more quickly and efficiently.—
Chris Stokel-Walker,
Fortune,
26 June 2025
Verb
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And, Roman says, a vital support system was ripped away: public services.—
Meg Anderson,
NPR,
30 June 2025
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Meanwhile, boats all along the southwest shore were being swamped or ripped from their moorings and piling up on rocks or beaches, often crashing into other vessels.—
George Skelton,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2025
Verb
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On June 18th, the Karen Read saga finally lurched to its inevitable end, when a Norfolk County jury, assigned the unenviable task of spending spring and early summer watching corruption theater in Dedham court, acquitted Ms. Read of all the serious charges against her.—
Tom Blakely,
Boston Herald,
27 June 2025
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More to come on this one as the American media M&A space makes another lurch forwards.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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