1
as in jerked
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion
she stupidly yanked the wheel while I was driving
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in pulled
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 grabbed
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of yanked
The community backlash was swift as customers stopped going to the South End brewery and distributors yanked Sycamore products from shelves.
—
Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026
Footage showed Pino lunging at Thayer as his younger brother yanked the ax away from him.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Meta yanked its Metaverse unit’s funding and slashed its staff earlier this year — but its aggressive AI spending should be a reminder of the company’s history of getting out over its skis in the name of a shiny new object.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
The worries have ignited a downcycle for private credit players as retail investors yanked funds in recent weeks, driving abnormally high redemptions at firms including Blue Owl and Blackstone.
—Hugh Son, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
Grand Rapids yanked Sherlock with 44 seconds to play, and the extra man paid off as Jameson Duell scored 15 seconds later to tie the game and send it into overtime.
—Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 5 Mar. 2026
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia yanked Monaco defender Vanderson into a series of strange shapes on the opposite touchline.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Three varieties of cottage cheese sold under Walmart’s Great Value brand got yanked from stores in 24 states on potential pasteurization problems.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
Trump has since yanked his endorsement of Hurd and threatened to follow suit against any Republican who voted to repeal tariffs.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 24 Feb. 2026
Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026
Footage showed Pino lunging at Thayer as his younger brother yanked the ax away from him.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Meta yanked its Metaverse unit’s funding and slashed its staff earlier this year — but its aggressive AI spending should be a reminder of the company’s history of getting out over its skis in the name of a shiny new object.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
The worries have ignited a downcycle for private credit players as retail investors yanked funds in recent weeks, driving abnormally high redemptions at firms including Blue Owl and Blackstone.
—Hugh Son, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2026
Grand Rapids yanked Sherlock with 44 seconds to play, and the extra man paid off as Jameson Duell scored 15 seconds later to tie the game and send it into overtime.
—Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 5 Mar. 2026
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia yanked Monaco defender Vanderson into a series of strange shapes on the opposite touchline.
—Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Three varieties of cottage cheese sold under Walmart’s Great Value brand got yanked from stores in 24 states on potential pasteurization problems.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
Trump has since yanked his endorsement of Hurd and threatened to follow suit against any Republican who voted to repeal tariffs.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanked
Verb
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We are jerked between past and present as his backstory gets filled in, one jogged memory at a time.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Aisha jerked and opened her eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The prosecutor said Abril confronted the couple, at which point James MacEgan was shot and killed, before Abril grabbed MacEgan’s wife and pulled her into the creek.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Third in growth from 2020 to 2025, Iredell County pulled just ahead of Lancaster County for the highest single-year growth rate.—
John Marks,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The prosecutor said Abril confronted the couple, at which point James MacEgan was shot and killed, before Abril grabbed MacEgan’s wife and pulled her into the creek.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Scheierman also hit two earlier threes, grabbed five rebounds and pestered Gilgeous-Alexander to force a third-quarter turnover to help Boston take down the defending NBA champions 119-109.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Over the course of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s term, CPS has lurched from budget crisis to budget crisis, able only to muddle through due to record-breaking mayoral declarations of tax-increment-financing surpluses.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Elsewhere in town, the original creature, played by Christian Bale, has lurched here from Austria still on his lonely quest for companionship.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Someone pried open the mailbox of a residence in the 18000 block of Vessing Road, causing damage estimated at approximately $1,200.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The officers pried open the panel to free the woman, who was unable to get out of the tank on her own, according to the court records.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the bottom of the second, Sierra Canyon catcher Aiden Jahng ripped a double into the left-center field gap on an 0-2 count to put the Trailblazers up 2-0.—
Tony Gleason,
Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Even the series most absurd premise — a competition in which immigrants compete for citizenship — feels ripped from the headlines.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Kearse twitched briefly after the lethal drugs began entering his system but stopped moving several minutes later.—
Freida Frisaro,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Through the scope, a polar bear twitched on the ice, 25 yards in front of me.—
Scott Haugen,
Outdoor Life,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
To be clear, Cortical Labs’s neural cells aren’t extracted from brains.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
28 Mar. 2026
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The evidence — mostly messages extracted from Melly’s cellphone, email addresses and social-media accounts — will not be allowed in the rapper’s retrial after the appellate court’s ruling.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yanked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanked. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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