yank 1 of 2

noun

Definition of yanknext
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 How to pronounce yank (audio)
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

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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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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
There’s also an ending that revels in a form of catharsis — for the audience watching the play, not the movie — before yanking that, too, away. — David MacK, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026 Although nine episodes were filmed, only two aired before A&E yanked the controversial and critically panned series, WXIX reported at the time. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
  1. pull
  2. jerk
  3. pluck
  4. grab
  5. tug
  6. twitch
  7. extract
  8. rip
Noun
  • Quirky touches include plaid upholstery, fabric door-pull straps and a removable storage basket 3D-printed from bio-plastic and wood.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The lifestyle premium Then there’s the pull that has drawn Americans west for generations.
    — Andrew McGowan, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of pull
Verb
  • During the test, Linton jerked and twitched in what prosecutors described as an attempt to fake a seizure.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • And like any great sitcom, Friends runs the gamut from numbing brain-rot to tear-jerking sentimentality.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • The original number was 28,800, but Carolina Herrera designer Wes Gordon’s two children plucked a tulip each to take with them.
    — Max Berlinger, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Four years later Fontaine plucked another future Hall of Famer, taking outfielder Tony Gwynn in the third round.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • Ditto for the reinterpretation of thong sandals that grabbed attention at Givenchy and Jean Paul Gaultier, or the clear vinyl-like styles seen at Balenciaga, Chloé, Simone Rocha, Stella McCartney and Moschino, among others.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Mel Ismail, a 56-year-old father, was rescued by another surfer who just happened to show up at the beach and was willing to risk his own life by grabbing his board and heading towards the bloody water.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of grab
Noun
  • The knitting process is portable and easy, but the structure also means a tug on one loose end can quickly unravel the whole project.
    — Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Barr allegedly stole an Alaska Airlines tug from the field, crashed it into another vehicle near Gate 7, and then attempted to steal an American Airlines lavatory truck, but was taken into custody by airport police.
    — Breaking News, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of tug
Verb
  • Just then, Chee Meng’s fishing rod twitched, and the line began to run out.
    — Rachel Heng, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • During the test, Linton jerked and twitched in what prosecutors described as an attempt to fake a seizure.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of twitch
Verb
  • Much of the fear stems from Paramount's pledge to extract more than $6 billion in annual synergies within three years of closing the merger.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • When Blue Cross Blue Shield recently published research suggesting that hospitals use artificial intelligence tools to extract more money from insurers without providing additional care, people were mad.
    — Leah Pierson, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of extract
Verb
  • Poindexter responded to the legal threat by ripping the letter in half.
    — Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The results led her doctor to order another test, during which her artery was ripped.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of rip

Browse Nearby Words

yammers
yank
yanked
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Cite this Entry

“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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