YANK Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

yank 1 of 2

noun

Definition of yank

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

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

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

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

reattach

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

As the man was unconscious, Slawson was accused of yanking the suspect out of the police vehicle, causing the man to hit and split his head on the concrete, the press release stated. — Christian Cervantes, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026 In his view, a prosperous society was teetering on the edge of a meaningful shift toward communitarianism before being yanked back. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for yank

Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank

Noun

These tokens fell sharply in the days after their debuts and quickly drew accusations of being rug pulls, a crypto term for projects in which insiders abruptly sell large holdings, leaving other investors with steep losses.

— Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026
Tickets include beer, wine, and heavy appetizers, plus access to a silent auction and mystery wine pull.

— The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Sun, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of pull

Verb

And like any great sitcom, Friends runs the gamut from numbing brain-rot to tear-jerking sentimentality.

— Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026
The production’s winking tone blunts some of the original’s tear-jerking climax, yet its intact happy ending offers a surprisingly comforting vision of survival in an age of constant crises.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of jerk

Verb

That’s what life is like for NFL players who were plucked off the waiver wire last week, or those who have signed with a new team last week after not making their old team’s initial 53-man roster.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2026
Last January Nessie O’Neil, a graduate student in biology at Miami University in Ohio, watched as a young pygmy raccoon plucked a receipt from the paper trash.

— Isabel Gil, Scientific American, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of pluck

Verb

Running back If you’re not used to seeing the running back position here, grab a ticket and join the line.

— Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Just like the rest of us that day, most of the dead were just going about such ordinary tasks as showing up for work, grabbing a cup of coffee and traveling on a commercial jetliner, or just trying to lend a hand to people in trouble.

— Mike Kelly, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of grab

Verb

The 5-11, 210-pounder is a sudden cutter who runs with power and twitch, attacking space like a great punt returner.

— Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
The muscles in Lola Petticrew’s face twitch ever so slightly, indicating Catherine’s excitement that the police are now in possession of this picture.

— Erin Qualey, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of twitch

Verb

Gulliver incredulously witnesses people attempting to extract sunbeams from cucumbers and turn excrement back into edible food.

— Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
As part of the investigation, those at Gamers Nexus were able to extract the names of the secondary devices as well as transcripts of private conversations people were having around the LG TV.

— Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of extract

Verb

Wildfires are ripping across parts of Indonesia, destroying precious peatland and smothering the country in a toxic smoke so thick, people are struggling to breathe.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
This version is made by ripping open a single-serving bag of chips — say, Doritos — then piling in meats, cheeses, veggies, sour cream, salsa and other ingredients.

— Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of rip

Browse Nearby Words

yammers

yank

yanked

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Style

“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of yank

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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