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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of yanking
Chelsea were a few seconds from going out of the quarter-finals (losing 3-2 on aggregate) when Arsenal full-back Katie McCabe halted a run by Chelsea’s USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson by grabbing Thompson’s ponytail and yanking it, as shown above.
—
Phil Hay, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Keep the movement coming from your ribs, rotating, not by yanking your neck.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 1 Apr. 2026
In other words, eliminating them from the animal kingdom would be like yanking an entire tier of Jenga blocks out of the middle of the tower.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 15 Mar. 2026
The body-camera footage shows Exum yanking the wheel left, toward the Rogue, then right.
—Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Other plaintiffs’ attorneys, however, have called the CEO’s threat of yanking the product a scare tactic.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
The Lancers are feisty, diving for loose balls, yanking the ball out of opponents’ hands and not being shy about questioning an official’s call.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Chelsea Marie Struss was seen on video pushing, hitting, dropping, and yanking infants in her care.
—Vanessa Carlson Bender, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 12 Feb. 2026
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
Phil Hay, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Keep the movement coming from your ribs, rotating, not by yanking your neck.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 1 Apr. 2026
In other words, eliminating them from the animal kingdom would be like yanking an entire tier of Jenga blocks out of the middle of the tower.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 15 Mar. 2026
The body-camera footage shows Exum yanking the wheel left, toward the Rogue, then right.
—Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Other plaintiffs’ attorneys, however, have called the CEO’s threat of yanking the product a scare tactic.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
The Lancers are feisty, diving for loose balls, yanking the ball out of opponents’ hands and not being shy about questioning an official’s call.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Chelsea Marie Struss was seen on video pushing, hitting, dropping, and yanking infants in her care.
—Vanessa Carlson Bender, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 12 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanking
Verb
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Tony Fauci was not just jerking the country around.—
David Blumenthal,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
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The clip on TikTok shows the seat jerking abruptly, apparently from forceful pushes by the person seated behind her.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The 2018 Hands-Free Georgia Act, which effectively banned drivers from holding phones, made pulling drivers over easier.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
5 Apr. 2026
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Saturday, and a good Samaritan is credited with pulling the three survivors out of the inlet, the USCG told The Charlotte Observer.—
Mark Price
April 5,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Kyla Oldacre led Texas with 11 points off the bench while grabbing seven rebounds.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
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The victim listed in the police records later told police about two incidents of physical assault, including grabbing, scratching, shoving and striking, according to the documents.—
Meriam Bouarrouj,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Curry’s body began convulsing and twitching with increasing severity, consistent with him sustaining a traumatic brain injury from being punched in the face, documents state.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Afternoon Ben Thanh Market is Hồ Chí Minh’s biggest market – a vast maze of 1,500 stalls selling everything from still-twitching fish to electronics and souvenirs.—
Tamara Hinson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Entering his third season at the helm, Counsell is seemingly more comfortable with the uniqueness of managing the Cubs, from the day games to the prying media to the quirkiness of the ballpark, which can favor hitters one day and pitchers the next.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
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There are those who close their social media accounts, those who move to a ranch away from prying eyes, and those who decide to address the issue.—
Alessandra De Tommasi,
Vanity Fair,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Johnn Baptista, who lives in the area, shared footage with the Miami Herald that showed the storm tearing his awning off the ground and tossing a children’s play set and other items across his yard.—
Sofia Saric,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
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Then, on a force play, Contreras slid hard into second, banging into shortstop David Hamilton’s left knee with his cleats and tearing his pants.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Generally, both experts recommend being extra careful with blinds (following manufacturer directions, for example, and not tugging or pulling when dusting).—
Lori Keong,
Architectural Digest,
2 Apr. 2026
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To play for Hurley is to understand that taking a play off is not acceptable, that bending over and tugging at your short hems – a sure sign, in Hurley’s estimation, of weakness – will earn you either a death stare or a run up the steps.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And the largest tech companies in the world are extracting profit from it?—
Mark Olsen,
Twin Cities,
5 Apr. 2026
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In fact, many collagen supplements are made by extracting collagen from the bones, skin, and feet of chickens.—
Lindsey DeSoto,
Health,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanking. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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