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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Recent Examples of yawn
Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
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
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
Noun
With that indelible Southern gift for pulling new lingo from thin air, the duo deploy yawns that stretch like bungee over Zaytoven-type keys.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 13 Feb. 2026
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
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
-
If your surroundings have become a bore, switch them up as Venus and Uranus harmonize.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
-
And just like the action on the field can range from the goalless bore draw to the nine-goal thriller, the quality is wildly inconsistent.—
Jon O'Brien,
Vulture,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
The warning signs in men include snoring while women often experience unrefreshing slumber, daytime fatigue or feeling exhausted despite spending enough time in bed.—
Emily Cegielski,
Flow Space,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The Right Way to Water Your Vegetable Garden The best way to water a vegetable garden is with a soaker or drip hose.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
9 June 2026
-
Some craft workshops at the center are open to local children as well as to refugees, and, this winter, everyone got together to make drip-wax candles by hand.—
Jessi Jezewska Stevens,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Smith testified that Skaggs would snort the pills.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
9 Dec. 2025
-
Grabbing a $20 bill, Robertson had the assistant snort three lines of coke — which eventually did the trick.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Stewart dropped to one knee under an archway of beautiful purple and pink blooms and Karam could be seen gasping in delight when she was presented with an engagement ring, as seen in the snaps.—
Clare Fisher,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
-
The former mayor flung back in his seat underneath the player, and the crowd gasped.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The network is also set up to sniff out other viruses of recent concern.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
10 June 2026
-
The streamer on June 8 dropped an adorable photo of the real Great Dane puppy, as well as a brief teaser video that shows Scooby-Doo sniffing around in the woods before being picked up by Shaggy.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
In front of them, warthogs snuffled around in the grass.—
Flora Stubbs,
Travel + Leisure,
8 July 2025
-
Unbeknownst to me, their dog had snuffled through our gear and eaten our lunch.—
Jake Stern,
Outside Online,
24 May 2024
Verb
-
But then an ostrich got a bloody nose and another one began to wheeze, and more were plopping down in icy water.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
12 Nov. 2025
-
The accordion shuddered, wheezed, and my friend’s eyes slitted up through crusted seals.—
Sam Lipsyte,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yawn. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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