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
Hotel video footage showed the pair forcing entry into the hotel by yanking on a lobby door and breaking the lock.
—
Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
The yellow bucket of a heavy construction excavator crashed down onto the roof of the vacant home at Parade Park, yanking it into a heap of split plaster and lumber.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2026
But after the first attempt malfunctioned — the lace caught on the bottom of Buckley's bouquet, resulting in the veil accidentally yanking her head back — everyone is now on high alert.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
Both Blazy and Anderson, millennials with big brains, are yanking the fusty business of extraordinary clothes into the present – the former with a swell of empathy, and the other with a cerebral but intimate approach.
—CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
To be fair, Milhoan didn’t endorse yanking the polio vaccine from the CDC’s childhood-immunization schedule, as other vaccines were earlier this month.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
Trump did not take kindly to those remarks, responding with threats in Davos before yanking the Board of Peace invitation.
—Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
Discouraged home sellers are yanking the for-sale signs out of their front yards.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 22 Jan. 2026
Armed and masked law enforcement officers are being witnessed smashing car windows, yanking people from vehicles and chasing and wrestling others to the ground and hauling them away — images playing out in endless loops on TVs and other screens.
—Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
The yellow bucket of a heavy construction excavator crashed down onto the roof of the vacant home at Parade Park, yanking it into a heap of split plaster and lumber.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2026
But after the first attempt malfunctioned — the lace caught on the bottom of Buckley's bouquet, resulting in the veil accidentally yanking her head back — everyone is now on high alert.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
Both Blazy and Anderson, millennials with big brains, are yanking the fusty business of extraordinary clothes into the present – the former with a swell of empathy, and the other with a cerebral but intimate approach.
—CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
To be fair, Milhoan didn’t endorse yanking the polio vaccine from the CDC’s childhood-immunization schedule, as other vaccines were earlier this month.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
Trump did not take kindly to those remarks, responding with threats in Davos before yanking the Board of Peace invitation.
—Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
Discouraged home sellers are yanking the for-sale signs out of their front yards.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 22 Jan. 2026
Armed and masked law enforcement officers are being witnessed smashing car windows, yanking people from vehicles and chasing and wrestling others to the ground and hauling them away — images playing out in endless loops on TVs and other screens.
—Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanking
Verb
-
The room sighs in relief a second later when Buckley reanimates, jerking and flailing like a soul possessed, grinning maniacally — all on purpose, inspired by the earlier veil snafu.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Some signs that the carburetor is clogged on a snow blower are starting then dying a few seconds afterward, jerking, sputtering noises, and black smoke emitting from the exhaust.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After that setback, the Seahawks lost their edge to stay ahead of a league designed to keep pulling teams toward the middle.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Yet the final also required Vonn to push her knee further than in either of her two training runs, when she could be seen pulling back around some turns so as not to exert too much strain before the main event.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hearing the faint sirens of the white police officers who have been monitoring the area for no real reason, Kid attempts to blend into the party by grabbing the mic of the bored DJ—played by Parliament-Funkadelic’s George Clinton—to freestyle.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Or, Stein recommends grabbing a bed/mattress vacuum that is made specifically for the mattress.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But the Missouri was always a wild river twitching its bed from side to side across its flood plain.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Harnessing the camp of countless Drag Race acting challenges that came before her, Jujubee films a close-up reaction to a group of rowdy passengers reprimanding her, escalating the moment until her face is full-on twitching before a physical confrontation.—
Jillian Sederholm,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Guesthouse Under the Reed Roof answers this with a central concrete block that contains the bathroom, positioning it safely away from prying eyes.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Video showed customs officers prying open a crate to find the rock, its surface grey and rugged.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Three weeks after tearing her ACL, Italian downhiller Sofia Goggia won a World Cup race in 2022.—
Outside,
Outside,
4 Feb. 2026
-
What if the Celtics won a ring without Jayson Tatum, who could still come back this season after tearing his Achilles tendon in last year’s playoffs?—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The result is many annoyed fan owners tugging vigorously on the chain, only to have their fan suddenly turn into an in-home airplane propeller.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Start checking around four weeks after planting by gently tugging on the cutting.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Opening up new mining operations would be in keeping with the founding directive of the Forest Service, which mandates the balance of protecting resources and extracting them.—
Lauren Steele,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Their window of opportunity only lasted the weekend — if the scientists didn’t secure the instruments by Monday, an approaching front of bad weather would prevent helicopters from extracting them, effectively stranding them for an indeterminate period of time.—
Joe Wilkins Published Feb 4,
Futurism,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanking. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
