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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
One such winner is Steve Kovacs, who took first place in the Blackwater category, as well as the coveted best-in-show prize, for his whimsical image of a monkfish in Japan appearing to yawn. Leslie Katz, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026 The oohs and aahs over a 100-mph pitch have been replaced by yawns. Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2026
Verb
San Diego State led the Toreros by 24 at the break and yawned its way to an 87-54 win in the final preseason basketball exhibition for both schools. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Oct. 2025 There are yawning divisions internally about the credibility of coverage, with many in the Jewish community attacking BBC News’ output as being anti-Israeli, pointing to failings, including Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, which was revealed to have been narrated by the child of a Hamas minister. Jake Kanter, Deadline, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for yawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yawn
Noun
  • Beauty’s spring sale season bore fruit for more than a few players, data shows.
    Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 7 May 2026
  • After that, the phone bore no more location data.
    Dan Sullivan, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Nasal dilators are flexible devices designed to open the nostrils and improve airflow, often used to reduce snoring or ease nighttime breathing.
    Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
  • Sylvia, my copilot, snores softly.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Using tongs, lift the pasta out of the water and transfer it to the pan, bringing along any pasta water that clings and drips from the pasta.
    Karla Walsh, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
  • When natural rainfall doesn’t provide an inch of moisture, supplement with hand watering or drip irrigation.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 May 2026
Verb
  • Police allegedly found 641 glassine bags, including one that was tested and was found to be heroin/fentanyl, 1.78 grams of cocaine, 0.52g of crack cocaine, nine Adderall capsules, plastic and glass straws commonly used to snort narcotics and $232, according to Cleverdon.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Skaggs, 27, snorted the pill and died in a Texas hotel room on July 1, 2019, choking on his own vomit.
    Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Barker gasped in recognition and delight.
    Alex Barasch, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
  • Symptoms of pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, resemble a cold, with a cough that usually worsens over weeks and can cause gasping, vomiting and difficulty breathing, the Pasadena Public Health Department said in a statement announcing the outbreak.
    Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Because the New York Post is reporting the world’s richest man was recently spotted sniffing around one of Miami Beach’s most elite streets, North Bay Road, at the site of an under-construction mega-mansion.
    Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
  • Still, the Mariners had other Hall of Fame caliber talents in the 2000s and 2010s like the aforementioned Ichiro, Felix Hernandez, Adrian Beltre and Robinson Cano, and still couldn't even sniff an AL pennant, let alone a World Series.
    Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026
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
  • Since October, her youngest, now 7, has been coughing and wheezing a lot, especially at night.
    Lisa Song, ProPublica, 7 May 2026
  • Many of the cats were underweight with bones showing, and some suffering from respiratory infections were wheezing and had discharge around their eyes and noses.
    JT Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Yawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yawn. Accessed 15 May. 2026.

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