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
-
These photos, too, bore traces of Surrealism, as evidenced by his portrait series of Magritte, whose iconicity reflects that of the artist himself.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
12 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
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For shoppers comparing options, the cheaper menu items at the same studios include standard IV drips and Restore’s $79 NAD+ bundle.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
17 June 2026
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Session length depends on the dose and the clinic’s protocol, which is why drips can take anywhere from a single hour to most of an afternoon.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
There's a laugh-until-you-snort scene in which Harry gets an alien bug inside of him.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
8 June 2026
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The premiere audience gasped and snorted in disbelief as Stan and Reinsve suffer the indignity of an overreaching state — removing teens, tweens and an infant from their loving care.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
At this, the paddock gasps in unison.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2026
-
The late-night order halts what would have been the nation’s ninth nitrogen execution, a rare reprieve in a state where recent nitrogen deaths involved shaking, gasping and prolonged suffering.—
Kim Chandler,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Verb
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The look of sheer repressed, stymied rage/laughter on Raph’s face when Paul sniffs the Oreos instead is one of the episode’s biggest laughs.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
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The network is also set up to sniff out other viruses of recent concern.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
In front of them, warthogs snuffled around in the grass.—
Flora Stubbs,
Travel + Leisure,
8 July 2025
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Yawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yawn. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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