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
  • Like older Samsung watches, the Ultra 2 can monitor for sleep apnea and snoring overnight, and even measure your body fat like a smart scale.
    Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 26 July 2026
  • Being in the same room can make issues worse, with choosing what to watch on television and snoring being the biggest annoyances.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 9 June 2026
Noun
  • Adraina prefers her caffeine beverages on the sweet side as a latte, while Matt enjoys cold brew and drip.
    Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
  • Janet grabbed a roll of paper towels, ready to clean up the dirty drips that ran across her kitchen floor.
    Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 23 July 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
  • 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
  • The previous owners must have doused the property with chemicals, and as summer wheezed toward its smoky end, my lawn became less suburban ideal and more of a pop quiz in weed identification.
    Maggie Slepian, Longreads, 14 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Yawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yawn. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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