as in tugs
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force
had to give the shoe a good yank to get it off
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in jerks
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion
she stupidly yanked the wheel while I was driving
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in pulls
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 grabs
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 yanks
Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
After deciding to take his family to a tourist town for some fun in the sun, a minor encounter with local bullies yanks the family into the crosshairs of an unhinged, blood-thirsty crime boss (Sharon Stone), who is determined to derail his relaxation.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Charlotte pops by to drop off stuffing, and Carrie yanks her aside, accusing her of setting her up with Mark.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
Thing rebels against his master and yanks out his clockwork heart.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
After deciding to take his family to a tourist town for some fun in the sun, a minor encounter with local bullies yanks the family into the crosshairs of an unhinged, blood-thirsty crime boss (Sharon Stone), who is determined to derail his relaxation.
—Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
Charlotte pops by to drop off stuffing, and Carrie yanks her aside, accusing her of setting her up with Mark.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanks
Noun
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Kavya tugs on my arm, her nose is scrunched up, eyebrows discombobulated.—
Navdeep Singh Dhillon,
Parents,
21 Aug. 2025
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Images from Japanese public broadcaster NHK showed tugs spraying water on the front of the New Orleans.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Early’s script pulls from TV movies like Kate’s Secret and Perfect Body, while also referencing classic cinema like Suddenly, Last Summer and The Children’s Hour.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
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The Farktop Trench Coat is a true fall staple that instantly pulls an outfit together and makes even sweats look polished.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As fans scramble to catch the ball, footage shows, the ball appears to land one row in front of a woman while a man runs over and grabs it.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
7 Sep. 2025
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With City’s left-back, Matheus Nunes, moving out of position to press Mainoo, Ugarte’s involvement grabs the attention of Ilkay Gundogan and Josko Gvardiol.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Some devices, for example, track eye movements or other small muscle twitches to let users select words from a screen.—
Emma R. Hasson,
Scientific American,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But as the war tears at civilian life, Sashi’s four brothers and their friend K are pulled into the conflict.—
Eliana Ramage
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
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Bad Bunny plays Colorado, the drug ring leader, and Regina King is a crooked NY cop who tears the protagonist’s ordinary life apart.—
Malik Peay,
Essence,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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There may be even greater reasons to put an ad that plucks the heartstrings in front of a broader crowd.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But Thing, who Isaac had sewn back onto his arm, regains his autonomy and rips Isaac’s heart out.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
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Roberts brings a jolt of invigorating fury to one of the movie’s strongest scenes, in which the mentor rips into her mentee in public on a campus square with a fully detailed character assassination.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yanks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanks. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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