yanks 1 of 2

plural of yank
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

yanks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of yank

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 yanks
Verb
Suddenly, someone in the audience yanks her violently into the screaming mass of people. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025 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
  • Firefly makes rockets, space tugs and lunar landers.
    Samantha Subin, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
  • 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
  • Sorbitol pulls water into your colon to soften stools.
    Julie Marks, Verywell Health, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The pain of the cold pulls back, replaced by a fizzing in my limbs.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But Henry grabs Julia at the last moment and presses all of their hands to the stones at once.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Viral video of the incident shows Eilish leaving the stage and exchanging high-fives with fans when someone grabs her arm and tires to yank her into the crowd.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • The dog jumps up and plucks the burger from her—a move that left viewers stunned and amused by the canine's flawless execution.
    Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Yanks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanks. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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