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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of yanking
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
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
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
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
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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Then, as the pandemic waned, in 2023 and early ’24, came two jolts to the system – federal pandemic-era assistance ended, pulling food and food-related funding away from charities, and the number of people seeking food continued to grow.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
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The trio rebuild the tower and Guerrero goes up again, pulling the line for about four minutes more before the group takes down the tower, wheels the cart away from the window and walks away.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Kaufman-Renn hit his first seven shots — going 6-for-6 and grabbing five rebounds in the first half — on the way to 20 points.—
Janie McCauley,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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Agents targeted grocery stores, churches, and construction sites, smashing car windows and pulling people from vehicles or grabbing them at a hardware store parking lot.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 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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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
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Under constant surveillance from informants and prying neighbors, the pair must conceal their enduring love while navigating a society on the brink of collapse, and the promise of newfound freedom.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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LeVota announced Wednesday that Jackson County will establish a task force to begin the process of deciding what to do with the current sports complex, which could involve tearing one or both stadiums down to build something entirely new.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
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Even momfluencers who adhere to pristine ideals of motherhood have people tearing them apart for the littlest things.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The movie was a major success, tugging at the heartstrings of pet owners everywhere.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
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By July or August, if all goes well, the spacecraft will begin the monthslong process of tugging Swift up, aiming for an altitude of about 550 kilometers.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In any context, everyone is justified in resisting or repelling any invasion of their person or property, extracting restitution or exacting punishment in response to an invasion, or helping someone else do the same.—
Connor Okeeffe,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
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Afghanistan joined Iran as countries singled out by the United States for detaining Americans in hopes of extracting policy concessions.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanking. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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