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
-
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
-
Her hair, with a neat middle part, was pulled back tightly into a low bun to frame her face perfectly, and it was all punctuated with a strong red lip.—
Gretta Monahan,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2026
-
With the win, Minnesota (10-3-3-4) pulled even with Boston atop the PWHL standings with 39 points.—
Theodore Tollefson,
Twin Cities,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Voikietaitis' dominance was a theme all night as the sophomore center from Lithuania grabbed as many rebounds (11) as the Cougars had as a team in the first half.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
The Longhorns grabbed more rebounds (41-30), shot better from 3-point range (8-for-22 compared to 4-for-22), made seven more field goals and had more than double the assists (14-6).—
American-Statesman staff,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
In an effort to draw in new viewers, The Bachelor franchise has instead ripped itself apart.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The alleged thieves ripped bronze plaques and grave markers from headstones and walls of the cemetery's mausoleum.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
How the Discovery Was Confirmed DNA from the specimen was extracted in Scotland and sent to Aberystwyth University in Wales for sequencing to confirm the identification.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Her sister, 27, had to be extracted due to the damage on her side of the vehicle.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yanked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanked. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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