yawn 1 of 2

Definition of yawnnext
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
Tumble outta bed and stumble to the kitchen, pour yourself a cup of ambition and yawn and stretch and get ready to go out onstage. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 July 2026 On a recent summer day at Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences, students ambled through yawns, braces and acne into their creative writing class. Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Verb
Eventually Ursula yawns and lumbers out of the den, with the cubs following. Brooke Baitinger, Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2026 But now a desolate school year, long and full of needs not her own, yawned. Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for yawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yawn
Noun
  • Female flies bore into the fig to lay their eggs, which hatch out as larvae inside the fruit and eat the unripe insides before burrowing their way out.
    Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • At the head of the lead breakaway group, the Ecuadorian bore the brunt of issues — he was nearly taken out by the Shimano neutral service vehicle, and had to slow due to the number of fans having shaken Kuss from his wheel with five kilometres left.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Verb
  • Women with sleep apnea often don’t snore loudly, which is one reason so many go undiagnosed.
    Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Sleep apnea still carries the stereotype of an older, overweight man snoring on the couch.
    Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 3 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • After an overnight rest in the refrigerator, the dough is rolled, filled, sliced, and baked in muffin tins, whose individual cups catch any drips from the bubbling filling to create the signature crisp, sticky bottoms and dramatic spirals.
    Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Better yet, convert all overhead spray zones to inline drip irrigation.
    Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The former Oasis frontman told a particularly funny story about a flare up back in 1994, where a few fans of the band tried to snort his psoriasis.
    Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
  • And that says nothing of its snort-like laughs, which reminded me too much of the huffs and puffs of the ride’s donkeys.
    Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • Those in the crowd held their breath—and audibly gasped—as the opening to season three unfolded onscreen.
    Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 30 July 2026
  • Medical staff told officers that the gasping noises were a result of the resuscitation efforts and oxygen pumped into the toddler's body, the reports said.
    Jose R. Gonzalez, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • Ford is bringing a K9 unit to a Michigan plant to sniff for guns, ammunition and explosives for several months.
    Charles Singh, USA Today, 31 July 2026
  • In general, algorithms to sniff out AI aren’t always accurate.
    Walter Scheirer, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • Fava snuffled and dawdled and took her own sweet time up the sidewalk.
    Dan Kois, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 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
  • Her baby lies still in her arms, his breathing faintly wheezing.
    Fatma Tanis, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Double-bass glissandos hint at hands grubbing in the earth, while abrupt moments of concerted action—notably, an accordion wheezing out an F-sharp-minor chord—suggest flickering signals and transmissions.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Yawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yawn. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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