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
Relevance
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
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 yanked
Her only help came from a passenger who yanked the girls away.
—
Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026
The theater was also immediately gutted, the audience chairs yanked out and flung into a pile in the middle of the studio.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
Miller overcorrected with his next pitch and yanked a fastball way inside before sending a fastball above the zone.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
Once, Denise yanked an earring out of Djena’s left ear, tearing the lobe.
—Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
That infuriatingly catchy Kars4Kids donation jingle got yanked off the air in California.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
The rookie was yanked after allowing six goals on 33 shots in Game 6.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
Calling out the Chiefs fan for being a bandwagoner was funny, as was Aqib Talib’s chain bit against the Raiders, calling back to when Talib yanked a chain off of former Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 15 May 2026
The move yanked King from her role as chair.
—Tess Riski
may 14, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026
The theater was also immediately gutted, the audience chairs yanked out and flung into a pile in the middle of the studio.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
Miller overcorrected with his next pitch and yanked a fastball way inside before sending a fastball above the zone.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026
Once, Denise yanked an earring out of Djena’s left ear, tearing the lobe.
—Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
That infuriatingly catchy Kars4Kids donation jingle got yanked off the air in California.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2026
The rookie was yanked after allowing six goals on 33 shots in Game 6.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
Calling out the Chiefs fan for being a bandwagoner was funny, as was Aqib Talib’s chain bit against the Raiders, calling back to when Talib yanked a chain off of former Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree.
—Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 15 May 2026
The move yanked King from her role as chair.
—Tess Riski
may 14, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanked
Verb
-
In the summer of 2020, former Morgan Stanley trader Adam Crawley was wandering through Indonesia, Thailand and Australia, perfecting his qigong with a man called Master YanG, when a cold message on LinkedIn jerked him back to reality.—
Phoebe Liu,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
John jerked Maggie back by the elbow and stopped her from stepping into the street.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Colorado pulled to 8-3 in the fifth on Tyler Freeman’s two-run homer, but the Angels answered again in the bottom half on Jo Adell’s RBI single for a 9-3 lead.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
The hood’s intake is mounted at the back, so smoke and fumes rising from the back burners get pulled straight up into it.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
In the final two minutes, Salaün grabbed two crucial rebounds, hit two free throws, and knocked down a clutch jumper that gave Golden State a 87-84 lead.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Howard added 22 points and grabbed a team-best eight rebounds, and Miles added 16 points and eight assists.—
Mike Cook,
Twin Cities,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
As Aden Kassaye and her mother got out to inspect the damage, Beas Solorio reportedly lurched the BMW forward, making contact with Ayalew’s torso, prompting Ayalew to slam her hands on the BMW’s hood to brace herself and yell at the driver.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
-
So between those two things, the balance of gerrymanders has lurched pretty abruptly toward the right.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
But the best dishes attest to careful technique, like the lovingly fluffy housemade paneer that somehow melts and crumbles at once, and biryani under a lid sealed with a strip of dough, pried off with a knife at your table.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
In what was billed an organizational coup, the Braves pried Chuck Tanner from the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cox from the Jays.—
Mark Bradley for the AJC,
AJC.com,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
For example, Hurricane Helene in September 2024 was a powerful tropical cyclone that made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend and then ripped its way into Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, causing catastrophic damage and several fatalities across the Southeastern United States.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 2026
-
Large chunks of their tissue is ripped out entirely.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Many a club’s board would have twitched in the face of the bare data, but the chain of command above Arteta stayed the course, and the FOMO is so high that tickets for Palace away this weekend are going for £45,000 ($60,000) on resale sites.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
My jaw twitched uncontrollably.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Potatoes contain solanine, which can be extracted by boiling the potato peels in water.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
29 May 2026
-
While lithium is extremely widespread, lithium that can be extracted economically is a different matter.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yanked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanked. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
