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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of yanked
On Friday, he was yanked after only one snap.
—
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
It was yanked off the market and plopped back on.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
In response, the footage shows, agents yanked his brother to the ground, shoving his face into wet concrete.
—Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
Three hooded, masked men jumped out, yanked him from the driver’s seat and beat him, repeatedly pistol-whipping and punching him before fleeing with the watch, according to the victim and Irvine police, who took a report.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 18 Oct. 2025
The play where DeMario Douglas zig-zagged through a sad-sack Saints secondary for a touchdown, then returned to the sideline and got yanked back with the rest of the offense.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
In the video, the security guard who leaped into the crowd at the man who yanked at Eilish appeared to be thrown backward by him.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
Imanaga allowed a second blast, a solo shot to catcher William Contreras, and was yanked from the game following the third inning.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Some even report being pinched and yanked at while in the room, staff say the pincher is the ghost of a homeless little girl who occupied the vacant prison during the Great Depression.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
It was yanked off the market and plopped back on.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
In response, the footage shows, agents yanked his brother to the ground, shoving his face into wet concrete.
—Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 18 Oct. 2025
Three hooded, masked men jumped out, yanked him from the driver’s seat and beat him, repeatedly pistol-whipping and punching him before fleeing with the watch, according to the victim and Irvine police, who took a report.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 18 Oct. 2025
The play where DeMario Douglas zig-zagged through a sad-sack Saints secondary for a touchdown, then returned to the sideline and got yanked back with the rest of the offense.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 12 Oct. 2025
In the video, the security guard who leaped into the crowd at the man who yanked at Eilish appeared to be thrown backward by him.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
Imanaga allowed a second blast, a solo shot to catcher William Contreras, and was yanked from the game following the third inning.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Some even report being pinched and yanked at while in the room, staff say the pincher is the ghost of a homeless little girl who occupied the vacant prison during the Great Depression.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanked
Verb
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Travis jerked open the door and slid on his butt down a wing that was on fire.—
Gillian Telling,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
-
The president starts out by making a visit to Liberty Arena to play basketball with some school children, then gets jerked away when the crisis happens.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Then Jandiroba pulled guard in the final minute, allowing Dern to end the fight on top and win.—
Brett Appley,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Think bright and bold colors pulled from Lamborghini’s custom shades.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the third quarter, as the Lakers grabbed firm control of the game, Deandre Ayton ignited the crowd by attacking the basket with force.—
Dan Woike,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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The teen said Cairo then ordered him to get down on his knees, and at one point grabbed his shoulder in an attempt to push him to the ground – ultimately leaving him feeling threatened, according to WPTV.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Instead of taking a low profile and playing down any claims to Taiwan’s independent status like his more cautious DPP predecessor Tsai Ying-wen, Lai has lurched toward formal independence with a succession of speeches making the case for Taiwanese nationhood.—
Lyle Goldstein,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Hollywood lurched into a fresh wave of existential panic this week after Deadline, notating an otherwise dry industry panel on Saturday, September 27, seized on a stray remark.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the lab, the team pried the soldiers’ teeth open.—
Andrea Tamayo,
Scientific American,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Here, beauty becomes literal violence as her mouth is pried open, and nourishment becomes punishment.—
Jerry Saltz,
Vulture,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Midway through the first period, Matthews ripped home a power-play goal.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
There's a naivety and sweetness to them that's ripped away in an instant when the two passionately make love in the barren house, the inciting incident for the demise of their relationship.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Her hand twitched from the heat.—
Zuzana Říhová,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
-
My hand twitched toward the phone, muscle memory stronger than willpower.—
Maggie Downs,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Climatologists now know that volcanic dust was beginning to fall out of the atmosphere at that point, but marine sediments, tree rings, and other evidence extracted from archives of nature suggest that Arctic temperatures had not recovered.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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Emergency responders extracted him from the vehicle and transported him to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth, where he was pronounced dead.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yanked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanked. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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