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
Until George Springer yanked a 450-foot fly to the left-field bleachers, the lineup was ostensibly silent.
—
Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
The same words apply to the title character at the film‘s center, the inscrutable and seemingly unscrupulous Hedda Gabler (a magnetic Tessa Thompson), here yanked firmly from the late 20th century setting of Henrik Ibsen’s iconic play into the ’50s, and not missing a single trick along the way.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2025
Rice yanked one just foul, prolonging the at-bat until the homer came on the 10th pitch.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
On top of the trio, at least two other nominees went through the confirmation process only to either get yanked at the last minute or get the OK from the upper chamber and leave on their own months later.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 7 Sep. 2025
In fact, Labyrinth was yanked from some theaters less than a month after its release.
—Logan Karlie
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Barbosa has become the subject of internet chatter after video surfaced of her being yanked from a car by plainclothes ICE agents.
—Mikelle Street, Them., 26 Aug. 2025
That's the thinking behind a new Velcro-like fastening system which allows interior walls to simply be yanked out by hand and swapped for new ones when necessary.
—New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2025
Now, Netflix has already yanked it out of theaters, and has put that sing-along version on the service itself this Monday.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
The same words apply to the title character at the film‘s center, the inscrutable and seemingly unscrupulous Hedda Gabler (a magnetic Tessa Thompson), here yanked firmly from the late 20th century setting of Henrik Ibsen’s iconic play into the ’50s, and not missing a single trick along the way.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2025
Rice yanked one just foul, prolonging the at-bat until the homer came on the 10th pitch.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
On top of the trio, at least two other nominees went through the confirmation process only to either get yanked at the last minute or get the OK from the upper chamber and leave on their own months later.
—Al Weaver, The Hill, 7 Sep. 2025
In fact, Labyrinth was yanked from some theaters less than a month after its release.
—Logan Karlie
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Barbosa has become the subject of internet chatter after video surfaced of her being yanked from a car by plainclothes ICE agents.
—Mikelle Street, Them., 26 Aug. 2025
That's the thinking behind a new Velcro-like fastening system which allows interior walls to simply be yanked out by hand and swapped for new ones when necessary.
—New Atlas, 25 Aug. 2025
Now, Netflix has already yanked it out of theaters, and has put that sing-along version on the service itself this Monday.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanked
Verb
-
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
-
If Hall jerked too violently, let alone tried to run, the wire would pull the trigger, firing the shotgun Kiritsis had pointed at the back of Hall’s head.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
They were pulled from the Red Barn, a local landmark dating to the early 1900s in this small community southwest of the Keweenaw Peninsula.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Advertisement Advertisement Season 3 was the series’ most volatile yet, with every storyline pulled taut to the breaking point.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
One partygoer grabbed a fragrance and practically bathed in the smokey orange accords of Rendez-Vous Ivory.—
Essence,
Essence,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Natalia’s story grabbed the attention of the public in 2019 when Indiana prosecutors leveled charges against the Barnetts for allegedly neglecting a dependent.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Kirk lurched back and to the left.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Stripped of a reliable majority, Macron's governments have lurched from one showdown to the next.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The complaint alleges that Moseley interfered with her players’ mental health treatment, pried into players’ personal and romantic lives and threatened players about scholarships and playing time.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
17 Aug. 2025
-
The linchpin isn't just at risk; it's being actively pried loose.—
Scott White,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The drought grew to 41 2/3 innings before Crim ripped JP Sears’ first-pitch sweeper 439 feet to left-center, scoring Hunter Goodman and Jordan Beck, who opened the fourth with back-to-back singles.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Justin wore a neon pink hoodie and ripped jeans and sat on a couch while his son Jack, who wore pink leggings, a pink tank top and a pink beanie, leaned over his dad.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
My hand twitched toward the phone, muscle memory stronger than willpower.—
Maggie Downs,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The mechanism for raising and lowering the pen made a weak clunking sound and barely twitched.—
Stephen Cass,
IEEE Spectrum,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
Whereas previous metal pollution records extracted their silt, or evidence from areas far from their sources— upland peat cores or mountain and polar glaciers, Cambridge specifies –the most recent data comes from the epicenter of production, a paleochannel of the River Ure, Cambridge explains.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The New Extraction Economy Early colonial powers extracted gold, spices and resources from distant lands while giving little back to local communities.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yanked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanked. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share