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
But some lawmakers say that argument is baseless and that yanking the grants has left the state less equipped to prevent tragedies like this week’s attack at Annunciation Catholic School.
—
Curt Devine, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
See, for example, Trump yanking the security clearances of former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director Chris Krebs for his defense of the 2020 election as securely run.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 30 Aug. 2025
This status explains why Moody’s Investors Service yanking away Washington’s last AAA rating in May didn’t tank the dollar.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Earlier this month, the administration canceled the massive Lava Ridge Wind Project in Idaho, yanking permits approved last year.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
But this is real life, not fiction, and Loktev isn’t coldly observing her subjects from on high or yanking them along on unseen strings.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2025
Curt Devine, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
See, for example, Trump yanking the security clearances of former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director Chris Krebs for his defense of the 2020 election as securely run.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 30 Aug. 2025
This status explains why Moody’s Investors Service yanking away Washington’s last AAA rating in May didn’t tank the dollar.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Earlier this month, the administration canceled the massive Lava Ridge Wind Project in Idaho, yanking permits approved last year.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
But this is real life, not fiction, and Loktev isn’t coldly observing her subjects from on high or yanking them along on unseen strings.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanking
Verb
-
The story follows a Jewish family across five generations, from childhood to adulthood, blending laughs and tear-jerking moments, just like in Bob-Waksberg’s other shows.—
Braedon Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
-
Tear-jerking purple prose designed to make a Baby Boomer nostalgic and sad.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Running back Henry Rutledge is awaiting the results of an MRI for a lower-body injury after pulling himself after playing five snaps against North Carolina.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Companies that committed to DEI efforts and made public statements are now pulling back from those policies, editing their websites, disbanding employee resource groups, and quietly abandoning inclusive hiring goals.—
C200,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
More than a month after his death, Ozzy Osbourne’s music has largely slipped away from the Billboard charts following the headline-grabbing news that one of rock’s founding fathers had passed away.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Koberidze opens with a montage of cats, foot traffic, street dogs twitching in their sleep, statues and trees casting long shadows across buildings.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Prater, who was expecting gory details, is a little harder to read, though his face twitching doesn’t seem like a great sign.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This is about creating a childhood away from prying eyes, giving his children the space and support to enjoy being children without a care in the world.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
But such players tend to make these adjustments in the course of many weeks, on private practice courts in Delray or Monaco or Abu Dhabi, far from TV cameras and prying journalists.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Rodgers had a very forgettable two-year run as the Jets QB over the last two seasons, leading the team to a 5-12 record in 2024 after missing all of the 2023 season after tearing his Achilles in the season opener that year.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Missed the final 14 games last year after tearing his ACL at Tampa.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Of course, amid the drama tugging at viewers’ heartstrings, the show will, in following 9-1-1 tradition, feature larger-than-life rescues, including of one tech billionaire (played by Mark Consuelos) who is swallowed by a whale.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The wind howled, rattling metal signs and tugging at our clothes as the dust swallowed everything in sight.—
Shaun McKinnon,
AZCentral.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Crucially, there are real-world exploits like University of California, San Diego’s (UCSD) Imprompter, which had nearly an 80% success rate in extracting personal data via obfuscated prompts.—
Camellia Chan,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
So Cali reached over, extracting it, before downing the rest.—
Bryan Washington,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanking. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share