yanking

verb

present participle of yank
1
as in jerking
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion she stupidly yanked the wheel while I was driving

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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

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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 Shortly after, the video shows the same officer yanking him to the ground, punching and kicking him. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 Zabransky was the first person to reach Rabb in the end zone, yanking him into the air for a bear hug. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 3 Oct. 2026 There’s also an ending that revels in a form of catharsis — for the audience watching the play, not the movie — before yanking that, too, away. — David MacK, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026 McCullough has left himself open to criticism by yanking several starting pitchers early in games, citing data that starters aren’t as effective when facing a batting order for a third time. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026 Sanders made field goals of 33, 51 and 52 yards, rebounding after yanking a 54-yard attempt short and left. — ABC News, 13 Sep. 2026 Sandra Ogbebor hunches over her softly humming refrigerator and scours through bottles before finally yanking out an orange juice. — Light Oriye Tamunotonye, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sep. 2026 Video shows teams of workers yanking ropes to ferry locals who were stranded on an embankment flanked by a flooded river. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026 An Arkansas State Police trooper was captured on dashcam footage yanking the passenger of a vehicle by his hair and punching him in the face after a high-speed chase that ended in the streets of Blytheville. — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanking
  1. jerking
  2. pulling
  3. grabbing
  4. twitching
  5. prying
  6. tearing
  7. tugging
  8. extracting
Verb
  • And like any great sitcom, Friends runs the gamut from numbing brain-rot to tear-jerking sentimentality.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Even after a bailiff woke him up, Martin slumped over in his wheelchair, inside a courtroom bullpen, occasionally jerking and opening his eyes.
    — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of jerking
Verb
  • Reggie Tongue had a 7-yard fumble return for a touchdown that resulted in the Chargers pulling quarterback Erik Kramer from the game and replacing him with Jim Harbaugh, who is now the team’s current coach.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026
  • That includes making your bed, folding clothes, even pulling on a sweatshirt, where your nails are at risk of getting caught and pulling.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of pulling
Verb
  • San Martin was also tasked with grabbing the cash tray, which contained $17,000.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The question of how law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services will be affected by these potential tax cuts have fueled headline-grabbing debates across the state.
    — Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of grabbing
Verb
  • This is not easy for Robin (Griffin), who, judging by his nervously twitching legs and tendency to info-dump on interlocutors, finds ordinary interactions very stressful.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Green said his symptoms began when his feet started twitching in his sleep.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
Definition of twitching
Verb
  • At first there was just some casual small talk between them, then walks with their dogs, followed by dinners at pubs away from prying eyes and, finally, evenings spent cooking together.
    — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Or prying mussels off rocks along South Africa’s Cape Peninsula.
    — Rachel Levin, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of prying
Verb
  • Matas Buzelis beat him to the punch, tearing the ball out of the air and jamming it back into the basket with a dunk.
    — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Watkins, who won the AP Player of the Year as a sophomore after tearing her ACL in the NCAA Tournament, is raring to go after sitting out last year while recovering from the injury.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of tearing
Verb
  • The formula also features hydrating glycerin and vitamin E to help each shade glide across lids without tugging.
    — Madison San Miguel, Allure, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Rocki sat in a high chair while tugging on the long, black wig that was on her head.
    — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of tugging
Verb
  • However, extracting it from underground brines, hard rock and recycled batteries remains challenging because it is often mixed with sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
  • While Evernote sought to combat negative new registrations after its acquisition, Inkdrop’s developer was less concerned about growing its customer base and more interested in extracting additional revenue from current users.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of extracting

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Cite this Entry

“Yanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanking. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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