as in pull
the act or an instance of applying force on something so that it moves in the direction of the force
had to give the shoe a good yank to get it off
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to jerk
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion
she stupidly yanked the wheel while I was driving
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to pull
to draw out by force or with effort
yanked out a tooth with a pair of pliers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to grab
to separate or remove by forceful pulling
grab the other one, and let's see if we can't yank these two grocery carriages apart
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of yank
Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 4 May 2023
Happy to help, Marsh popped over, entered the combination and gave it a good yank — success.
—Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 4 May 2023
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025
Other protesters yanked it out of his hands and poured water into her eyes the lawsuit claims.
—Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yank
Noun
Her teacher promptly pulled her back into line with a yank whose mildness astonished me.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 4 May 2023
Happy to help, Marsh popped over, entered the combination and gave it a good yank — success.
—Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 4 May 2023
Verb
But yanking away the green card of a permanent U.S. resident, and/or yanking away the person himself, without any kind of trial is not the American way.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025
Other protesters yanked it out of his hands and poured water into her eyes the lawsuit claims.
—Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
Noun
-
The comedy is so wonderfully weightless as to seem entirely free from the gravitational pull of the history that had preoccupied Wilde’s family, and of a place called Ireland, where the unfortunately unavailable food was not the cucumber but the potato.—
Fintan O'Toole,
The New Yorker,
10 Mar. 2025
-
For a song that is so personal and meaningful, having a hat pull focus would not have fit the vision.—
Kinsey Jasnoch,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
While there are a slew of ways to pleasure yourself depending on these three factors, there are some basic tips that can be a helpful starting point, like how to finger yourself and how to jerk off.—
Quispe López,
Them,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Avoid jerking the valve or forcing it to turn, as this could cause the valve to break off.—
Timothy Dale,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
He’s minimized the walks, partly due to his willingness to use his curveball early in counts for strikes to get ahead and grab count leverage.—
Fabian Ardaya,
The Athletic,
14 Mar. 2025
-
Oh my God, so amazing to grab that artist for Charlotte. ...—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Even so, Wilmore and Williams will face extensive rehabilitation over the next several weeks and months as their bodies re-adapt to the unfamiliar tug of gravity. Hague and Gorbunov, who spent spent 171 days in space, will re-adapt more quickly, perhaps, but both will require physical therapy.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2025
-
The gravitational tug of neighboring galaxies compresses gas within a galaxy, triggering star formation.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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In the footage, the faceless android is seen suspended from the ceiling, its limbs twitching and moving in an unsettlingly human-like manner.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
11 Mar. 2025
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Something similar happened to Lindon’s recreation of a Picasso painting: His hand twitched, tearing the work to pieces.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Juwan Johnson, a 6-foot-4 open-space threat who Payton plucked undrafted out of Penn State in 2020, is re-upping for three years with the New Orleans Saints after constant buzz over a potential Payton reunion in Denver.—
Luca Evans,
The Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2025
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Hitchcock would have loved this beyond, given the sheer technical wizardry and skill of debuting 27-year-old Irish director Ronan Corrigan, who was plucked from a Black List-style program Bekmambetov founded called Screenlifers, designed to help emerging filmmakers in the format.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
8 Mar. 2025
Verb
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There’s a letter carrier called Penny Pal (Jenny Slate) that can rip people’s hearts out.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
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The Tampa Bay Rays were all set to break ground on a new stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, when Hurricane Milton ripped the roof off Tropicana Field last October, rendering the venue unplayable.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Paranoid – Black Sabbath If Black Sabbath was the birth of doom, Paranoid was the moment the monster lurched to its feet, six stories tall and stomping toward the future of heavy music.—
Darryn King,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
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Still, the cost is low compared with historical home prices that saw fast growth after the Great Recession then lurched further skyward during the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Nick Rosenberger,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
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