1
as in jerking
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 pulling
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 grabbing
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 yanking
Multiple videos show agents firing pepper spray from their vehicles, throwing protesters to the ground and yanking people out of cars.
—
Christopher Cann, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Therefore Primate and its promising central character turns more into a typical slasher flick, repeatedly knocking off the swimsuit-wearing teens one by one, his specialty being yanking out jaws and other bloody grossouts.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Keep the movement coming from your ribs, rotating, not by yanking your neck.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 28 Dec. 2025
Rather than yanking it all the way out right away, start by moving your range just enough to expose the connections.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 Dec. 2025
Two years later, Tombstone’s marshal Fred White was shot in the groin while in the act of yanking a revolver out of the hand of Cowboy leader Curly Bill Brocious.
—Literary Hub, 18 Nov. 2025
Video of that incident shows a man identified by police as Calhoon lunging across the table, yanking it toward him and flipping it on its side while Turning Point promotional materials spilled onto the pavement.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Ciattarelli promises to lower energy costs immediately by yanking the state out of a regional greenhouse gas initiative, as well as any other environmental policy that voters are sick of.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
In both cases, as the danger was spreading through the waters of the Florida reefs, scientists were busily yanking surviving corals out of the water and saving them in aquariums across the state.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Christopher Cann, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Therefore Primate and its promising central character turns more into a typical slasher flick, repeatedly knocking off the swimsuit-wearing teens one by one, his specialty being yanking out jaws and other bloody grossouts.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Keep the movement coming from your ribs, rotating, not by yanking your neck.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 28 Dec. 2025
Rather than yanking it all the way out right away, start by moving your range just enough to expose the connections.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 Dec. 2025
Two years later, Tombstone’s marshal Fred White was shot in the groin while in the act of yanking a revolver out of the hand of Cowboy leader Curly Bill Brocious.
—Literary Hub, 18 Nov. 2025
Video of that incident shows a man identified by police as Calhoon lunging across the table, yanking it toward him and flipping it on its side while Turning Point promotional materials spilled onto the pavement.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Ciattarelli promises to lower energy costs immediately by yanking the state out of a regional greenhouse gas initiative, as well as any other environmental policy that voters are sick of.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
In both cases, as the danger was spreading through the waters of the Florida reefs, scientists were busily yanking surviving corals out of the water and saving them in aquariums across the state.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanking
Verb
-
That jerking motion, combined with detergent and water, loosens dirt from the surfaces of clothing.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
27 Dec. 2025
-
Sad to see Yang leave the comedy sketch series, viewers focused on saying their goodbyes rather than the tear-jerking sketch.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
21 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
As his career skyrocketed, Chalamet spent years quietly training — aided by an expert on the sport, Diego Schaaf — by pulling a table-tennis setup along to productions ranging from Dune to Wonka.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Notre Dame didn’t mess around in pulling all that material together, looking like a program with a plan before the portal opened.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Take after the actress by grabbing them in black, or choose from six additional colors, including burgundy and deep brown.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Healthy cooking often boils down to accessibility and convenience; busy lives can leave people grabbing less nutritious alternatives.—
Virginia Willis,
AJC.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
His eye is twitching, just a little.—
Allegra Goodman,
New Yorker,
4 Jan. 2026
-
In a heartbreaking video, a partially paralyzed dog is caught twitching his paws in his sleep, and internet users can’t stop sobbing.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Surveillance video shows two suspects arriving in a car, getting out with crowbars, and prying open the restaurant's front door.—
Conor McGill,
CBS News,
3 Jan. 2026
-
Water that seeps into small cracks or gaps around homes can freeze and expand, slowly prying open concrete, damaging driveways, sidewalks, and steps, and even compromising foundations.—
Brendel Clark,
Freep.com,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Yost recommends walking around your home's perimeter and tightening any loose gutter hangers and brackets to prevent ice from tearing them off.—
Kamron Sanders,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Jan. 2026
-
These policies impose devastating costs on American citizens, weakening our economy, increasing the national debt, straining public budgets and tearing families apart.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And while Americans’ overall ideological self-identification looks stable in the aggregate (37% very conservative/conservative, 34% moderate, 25% very liberal/liberal), a January 2025 Gallup poll shows that this steadiness hides tectonic tensions tugging beneath the surface.—
Robert T.F. Downes,
Hartford Courant,
6 Jan. 2026
-
No more crying tots – or well-meaning helper elves – tugging on their long white beards and hemlines.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
26 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
But extracting them and refining them is the difficult part.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Olive oil is made by crushing olives and extracting their liquids.—
Kirsten Nunez,
Martha Stewart,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanking. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
