yawn 1 of 2

as in bore
someone or something boring as neither candidate was willing to make an unequivocal statement about anything, the debate proved to be a complete yawn

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

yawn

2 of 2

verb

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 yawn
Noun
My beans on toast was only halfway eaten when the waitress, yawning and heading into the final stretch of a triple-shift, discovered me. Hazlitt, 18 June 2025 The study, detailed this week in the journal Scientific Reports, found that a slight majority (57.1 percent) of adult chimpanzees observed would yawn in response to seeing the android head yawn. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 5 June 2025
Verb
So grab some gum, practice your yawns and let your Eustachian tubes do the job they were designed for. Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Popular Science, 16 July 2025 But between a narcissistic president (Meryl Streep), a sleazy administration, and the country's la-la-land media machine, their world-ending warning is met with yawns and collective dismissal. Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for yawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yawn
Noun
  • The president has similarly hinted at soon reverting the Department of Defense to the Department of War, the name the Cabinet’s military department bore from 1789 until 1947.
    Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The researchers plan to expand their study to a larger number of boreholes, including water bores, to understand the full scope of the issue better nd find more opportunities to reduce emissions.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • While crawfish frogs might be notorious for their rap sheets full of B&Es, they are also said to have a distinct sound when calling, almost like the sound of someone snoring.
    Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Featuring an ergonomic design and Smart ANC, the Sleep A30 can deliver all-night peace and quiet from noisy environments, which could include a snoring partner, a garbage truck collecting at some unearthly hour or any of the other nocturnal sounds that can disturb sleep.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Use a funnel to fill the feeder to avoid drips and spills on the exterior.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Matchas, cortados, lattes, drip coffee, cold brew and other drinks are included on the shop’s current menu, with a promise of more options coming this fall.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The fears of my imagination, the possibility of losing a child due to one inattentive moment, all combined to leave me gasping for breath.
    Adam Verner September 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
  • After a moment, the woman gasped for air.
    Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • So, like two detectives sniffing a break in a case, Richardson and Soto further investigated, scanning more clips in search of supporting evidence.
    Will Sammon, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Hired by Leo's sister-in-law (Shailene Woodley), Detective Bali sniffs out the winding secrets of the powerful Vardakis family, unraveling a crime of passion.
    Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In front of them, warthogs snuffled around in the grass.
    Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
  • Next to arrive is her disembodied trunk, with a mind of its own, snuffling out friends and enemies and food.
    Jesse Green, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024
Verb
  • The drilling was coming from the massive construction project next door, which eventually gave way to cartloads of rocks and dirt that wheezed out dust that clogged the air-conditioner.
    Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 July 2025
  • She's chased first by security and then by Jackson, who wraps a scarf around his wound and wheezes onward.
    EW.com, EW.com, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • He is brought into the fold by Helen (Elizabeth McGovern), leader of the Talamasca’s New York Motherhouse, to help snuff out an infiltrator in the organization.
    Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Several of the characters from Part 1 snuffed it, of course, and more meet their maker in Part 2.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Yawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yawn. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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