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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 theory went viral on X, as 4chan pointed users to photos of Valadez that bore perceived similarities to surveillance footage of the suspect fleeing the scene released by the FBI amid the manhunt.
    Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Anyone who thinks English Heritage sites are run by bores is in for a surprise.
    Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • By the time Cali finished her drink, Ronny was snoring.
    Bryan Washington, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2025
  • 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
Noun
  • The array of ferocious brushstrokes, scratches, and painterly drips amplify the complex dialogue, inviting the viewer’s interpretation.
    Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • There was no tease with a quick start, no slow drip of the game slipping away, pretty much no hope at all by the end of the first inning.
    Tim Britton, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Stunned spectators gasp and scream before people start running away.
    Jesse Bedayn, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Some exchanges were breathtaking — to them, certainly, and to spectators who gasped at the power during longer points.
    Howard Fendrich, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Don’t put out bird feeders, as bears can sniff out birdseed from more than a mile away.
    Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Inside, his older brother, Tyson, 8, sniffs around near his toys, enjoying a rare moment of uninterrupted playtime.
    Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 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 film wheezes through its less-than-80-minute running time, and no one seems all that sad to move on.
    Will Leitch, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2025
  • 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
Verb
  • That stability, Truchelut said, is what snuffed out a tropical wave the National Hurricane Center was monitoring last week.
    Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The Tigers used a 45-yard kick return to get into Cal territory before cornerback Hezekiah Masses made his second interception in as many weeks to snuff out the threat.
    Jeff Faraudo, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Yawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yawn. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on yawn

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!