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
Sarah Mlynowski, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
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
Verb
In each Whatever After novel, a magic portal yanks the main character, Abby, out of her comfortable life and thrusts her into another reality.
—Sarah Mlynowski, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
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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Firefly makes rockets, space tugs and lunar landers.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
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Here, fat-tire bicycles seem to outnumber cars, hours are measured in sunscreen applications and tugs on fishing lines, and island nightlife belongs to nesting sea turtles.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This can be as simple as bodyweight movements, resistance bands or dumbbells, focusing on compound/functional movements like squats, pushes and pulls.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
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Keeping her word, Adriana is initially on her best behavior, especially with Kiki, who pulls Adriana to apologize for putting a math equation on her birthday cake that gave away her age.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When virtual particle pairs pop into existence at the edge of black holes, sometimes the black hole’s gravity grabs one partner while the other escapes.—
Dipangkar Dutta,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
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When Catalina goes into the kitchen to refill her calabash, Frances grabs the box of Thompson paperbacks and makes a run for Ray at the restaurant.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 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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The show’s biggest laugh may come when Testa pries open Costanzo’s mouth and pronounces just how many performances of Norma Galas has left.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Achilles tears that the Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers suffered during the 2025 playoffs have made the race for the conference wide open this coming season.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
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In this kind of system, scientists theorize that the black hole tears the neutron star apart before swallowing it, which releases electromagnetic waves.—
Chad Hanna,
The Conversation,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Despite that notable change, watching One Battle After Another is much like the experience of reading Pynchon, who lurches from high comedy to stomach-turning naturalism and punctuates plot-heavy sequences with little grace notes of character portraiture.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
24 Sep. 2025
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That film begins with charismatic bank robber Ryan Gosling in a thrilling motorcycle escape from the cops, and moves through several twists and turns, lurches forward in time, and holds Gosling at its heart as a man doing bad things for good reasons.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
8 Sep. 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
Cite this Entry
“Yanks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanks. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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