yo-yo 1 of 2

noun

ˈyō-(ˌ)yō How to pronounce yo-yo (audio)
Definition of yo-yonext
1
as in fool
a person who lacks good sense or judgment some yo-yo cut the electricity off while I still had unsaved data

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person those yo-yos who insist upon using their cell phones while speeding down the highway

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

yo-yo

2 of 2

verb

as in to weasel

Related Words

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 yo-yo
Noun
In the South, though, our yo-yo-ing weather might give way to a sense of false spring, encouraging these little seeds to burst forth before the time is right—or not at all. — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026 Food insecurity, yo-yo dieting and eating disorders have long plagued our communities. — Emily Brindley health Reporter, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
The component of exercise it is designed to re-create is preservation of lean muscle mass, a concern when people yo-yo on and off GLP-1 drugs, losing more muscle each time. — Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026 Stocks also got a lift from easing oil prices in their latest yo-yo move. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for yo-yo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yo-yo
  1. fool
  2. moron
  3. weasel
  4. lunatic
  5. stupid
  6. waffle
  7. goose
  8. loser
Noun
  • The Trasks encounter a wide swath of citizens, haggling with sneaky cheats, exploiting innocent fools, and befriending big-hearted neighbors.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2026
  • To protest in the street, to be arrested for attacking a police officer or vandalizing private property, or making a fool of yourself in any of a hundred different ways is valuable currency to anyone seeking status within an activist organization.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of fool
Noun
  • The unlikely source is Enervate’s company stooge corporate strategist, Ken Davies (Tim Key), a moron by any measure.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026
  • God help us all if some idiot, some moron, ever put you in charge.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 July 2026
Definition of moron
Verb
  • In fact, the former Duchess is said to be returning to the UK and trying to weasel her way back into the royal family.
    — Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 27 Sep. 2026
  • From there, the Giants remained deadlocked in a 1-1 tie until the 10th, though San Francisco’s relievers had to weasel their way out of trouble to keep the game tied.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 8 June 2026
Definition of weasel
Noun
  • Rabin was killed [in 1995], that was a last straw —seeing an extremist right-wing lunatic in Israel kill Rabin and kill the dreams of peace.
    — Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026
  • In fact, a lunatic in Houston couldn't wait more than one game before sprinting onto the field.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of lunatic
Noun
  • My dad has always said the lottery is a tax on the stupid.
    — Alex Crippen, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Problem is, even people who know baseball don’t know baseball, which makes betting on baseball stupid.
    — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of stupid
Verb
  • Northeast faces a wet, windy weekend Forecast models have waffled back and forth for days but have been consistent on putting New England and Long Island, New York, in the bull’s-eye of the storm’s most significant rain and wind this weekend.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Tacos at the waffle place, waffles at the chicken place; our cups indeed runneth over.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of waffle
Noun
  • On a vaporetto in Venice’s Grand Canal in late May, I was forced to admit that my quest to uncover the mysteries of Northern Italy’s famed chicories bore the hallmarks of a goose chase.
    — Tamar Adler, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Don’t throttle the goose who lays the golden eggs, don’t blast from the skies the albatross who guarantees fair winds.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of goose
Noun
  • Deacon Phillippe was the winning pitcher and Cy Young the loser.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • However, sticking to the basics of fundamental analysis means that while the selection standard may be higher, the process of determining winners and losers is largely unchanged.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of loser

Browse Nearby Words

yowls
yo-yo
yo-yoed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Yo-yo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yo-yo. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All