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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Johnson yanks veterans' benefits package An effort to advance a package of VA benefits bills this morning on the House floor went down in flames – the latest in Speaker Mike Johnson's struggle to get Republicans on the same page. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 16 July 2026 Pinned beneath her rotting legs in his recliner chair, Loftis narrowly escapes by yanking its lever, catapulting the hag over his head. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for yank

Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank

Noun

As someone who fed on emotion and belonging throughout his career, Keegan had always felt the pull of Newcastle United, the club of his father.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Russia sliding deeper into China’s gravitational pull may be the most consequential long-term outcome of the entire war.

— Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of pull

Verb

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also advises against twisting or jerking the tick.

— Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 15 July 2026
Watching their relationship devolve (never more so than when their sperm donor, a rakish, motorcycle-driving restaurant owner played by Mark Ruffalo, enters the scene) is most definitely a tear-jerking experience, as is the film’s final scene.

— Liam Hess, Vogue, 28 June 2026

Definition of jerk

Verb

Alix Earle, and her younger sister Ashtin, have given the skinny brow trend their own proverbial thumbs up, plucking away their natural shape over the last year.

— Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 27 July 2026
The clip, plucked out of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, spread like wildfire through the digital landscape.

— Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

Definition of pluck

Verb

Photos appear to show one such altercation, with a fan attempting to grab Preston from the sideline.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
And once the stars are out, the fire pits come to life, where kids of all ages can enjoy s’mores by grabbing a kit from the front desk.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026

Definition of grab

Noun

The counselor at the helm of the Hobie stood up and tried to alert the tug crew before impact, prosecutors say.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
Trajectories are shaped by the force of a micrometeoroid's expulsion from the comet's nucleus, along with the gentle push of radiation from the sun and the gravitational tug of the planets.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of tug

Verb

The artisan copper stills used to extract essential oils and hydrosols are handcrafted by Copper Pro in Ukraine, incorporating a unique heating element that can be plugged in rather than using an open flame.

— Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 July 2026
During processing, the juices are extracted from the fruit, and the remaining flesh and fiber are discarded.

— Lauren Jarvis-Gibson July 21, Charlotte Observer, 21 July 2026

Definition of extract

Verb

It was forecast to gradually strengthen and the hurricane center said that ocean swells generated by Fausto were spreading along the Baja California coast and likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip tides.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
But such agreements show that Udio could have licensed Sony’s tracks instead of allegedly ripping them from YouTube, the label claimed.

— Corbin Bolies, Variety, 22 July 2026

Definition of rip

Browse Nearby Words

yammers

yank

yanked

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of yank

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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