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
As the wealth gap yawns ever wider, this has become a favorite question for storytellers to explore. Judy Berman, Time, 8 July 2026 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
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
  • That led to some scary moments for those in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium, but after the Colts picked up two first downs, Kansas City’s defense bore down around midfield and regained possession.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Its creators expected coding and debugging effort to fall to less than one-fifth, and early use bore that out.
    Boris Kontsevoi, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Reasons range from snoring to mismatched preferences around temperature, bedding, mattress firmness or noise and light levels.
    Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The first is a snoring-and-apnea problem hiding in plain sight.
    Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Moscow’s drip-drip escalation has been palpable for years now, as sabotage incidents become more frequent, and recklessness in the form of stray drones or ballistic missiles cross into and test NATO’s outer defenses.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip back into bag, and arrange, smoother side up, on rack.
    Hana Asbrink, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Brylan May, who met McCollough through her legal internship at the Writers Guild of America West in 2024, recalls once seeing McCollough snort a line of cocaine at a party and immediately throw up.
    Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Then came news from the delivery room that made everyone gasp.
    Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026
  • There’s an almost comically blasé way in which the performers — who are used to such spectacles — go about their work an hour before thousands of audience members will gasp and clap at the same tricks.
    Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • But Jones sniffs out the option run on fourth down and tackle Jake Shockley in the backfield.
    Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Though Leighton appears in front of their home at the end of the episode, the Dessens don’t realize that the MacNamara of their analog world has been sniffing around, too.
    Scott Tobias, Vulture, 11 Sep. 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
  • The defense struggled a bit in the first half with the reserves on the field even after producing a second-quarter interception, and the offense also gasped and wheezed with the reserves on the field.
    Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Lung inflammation makes breathing tougher and coughing and wheezing more frequent.
    Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 11 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Yawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yawn. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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