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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanking
Verb
-
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
-
But then her limbs started jerking.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Those worries have spilled into financial markets, pulling share prices sharply lower.—
Alex Veiga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Someone’s always pulling the knife out or holding the knife.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The news led Deadline to pose the question of whether happenstance means Cannes might struggle to add headline-grabbing movies this year, with several other blockbusters unlikely to screen there.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
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Video of that incident shows Peters grabbing the other woman and shoving her into the center of a hallway.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Levy brought the dog in dead and claimed that that the dog had a seizure and was vomiting, choking and twitching before his death.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
27 Feb. 2026
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The film uses music, the clippity-clop of hooves and twitching furry ears for her three donkeys — Palaye, Ruperto, Palomo — to surf critical acclaim on the film festival circuit to the upcoming Academy Awards.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The ceremony was held at the tiny First African Baptist Church in Cumberland Island, Georgia, away from prying eyes and paparazzi.—
Stefania Conrieri,
Vanity Fair,
6 Mar. 2026
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After being hounded by paparazzi for their entire courtship, the duo managed to pull off a secret wedding, away from prying eyes, on a secluded island in Georgia.—
Claudia Williams,
Architectural Digest,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Matthew McConaughey stars as a bus driver already stressed out by a tough situation at home when a wildfire starts tearing through towns.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Alessandro della Valle/Keystone via AP Images from the scene on Swiss media showed flames tearing through the bus.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On Friday, the Euphoria stargave fans a glimpse of her ideal cozy date night, tugging down her plunging burgundy bralette while snapping photos on her laptop from her bed.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
7 Mar. 2026
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Creams and balms melt into skin without tugging, while newer powder formulas are silky enough to avoid that chalky, flat look.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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No need to spend another six months extracting and testing cells.—
Ryan Brennan
March 6,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The operation in KwaZulu-Natal province is focused on extracting zircon, rutile, ilmenite, and titanium oxide — critical ingredients in products such as paint, sunscreen, and smartphones.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanking. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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