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
Outside Online, 21 May 2025
During his absence, several inmates started yanking on the door of Cell Delta 1006.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 19 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
No, because my dad grabbed the back of my shorts and yanked me to safety with the giant tug of a rescue wedgie.
—Outside Online, 21 May 2025
During his absence, several inmates started yanking on the door of Cell Delta 1006.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
Noun
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How to Pick a Hardware Color If choosing colorful knobs and pulls, Stephenson says her first move is to eliminate disliked colors.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 June 2025
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Considering their pull with the UFC and PFL, could a superfight even happen?—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Verb
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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
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Then stage two involves jerking movement, spasms, loss of vision, dementia, and seizures.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
5 May 2025
Verb
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Appeal To All Five Senses People still like going out, meeting others and grabbing coffee.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
Scott grabbed some pizza and returned to park her Subaru near the West Shore Market to wait for Serafini.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Marine Group officials wanted to demonstrate that converting similarly sized tugs from diesel to electric can be replicated by other companies, such as excursion boats and dinner cruises.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 June 2025
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That, in turn, scuttled the main objective of the mission — having the Otter rendezvous with the Launcher tug down the road.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
21 May 2025
Verb
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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
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Camouflaged among desert rocks, the deadly illusionist extends its spider-like tail into the open and twitches it to summon hungry insect-eating birds.—
Ryley Graham,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 Jan. 2025
Verb
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And yet, it’s still rooted in something real, because Perry plucked much of the heavy-handed dialog Keery delivers verbatim from the Wowee Zowee press kit, contemporaneous Malkmus interviews, and things Malkmus told Perry himself.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
4 June 2025
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The eggs, of course, are plucked from the hen house each morning.—
Matthew Monagan,
Travel + Leisure,
3 June 2025
Verb
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That’s one of the reasons why the play’s dialogue feels ripped from recent headlines.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
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If your pup is fond of ripping open toys and removing the stuffing, use some of their fur to re-stuff the toy.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Growing panicky, the animal lurched wildly, lost its footing altogether, and fell back toward me and my horse.—
Jim Carmichel,
Outdoor Life,
5 June 2025
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Thereafter, plans for the cemetery lurched back to the Great Park but never successfully held on to momentum.—
Jonathan Horwitz,
Oc Register,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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