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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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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
Elena Santa Cruz, The Arizona Republic, 7 Oct. 2024
While Americans continue to struggle under unrelentingly high rents, as many as 223,000 affordable housing units like Maalouf’s across the U.S. could be yanked out from under them in the next five years alone.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2024
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
People who were at the party told Queen Creek police, according to a police report, that Turner first yanked a chain from Lord's friend and used it to play hot potato with other Goons.
—Elena Santa Cruz, The Arizona Republic, 7 Oct. 2024
While Americans continue to struggle under unrelentingly high rents, as many as 223,000 affordable housing units like Maalouf’s across the U.S. could be yanked out from under them in the next five years alone.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
Noun
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Bregman is a pull hitter who benefited from the friendly confines of Minute Maid Park.Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
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Nearly 57 years after its founding the institution has enough pull to attract fixtures such as the expansive artist Solange Knowles and the inspiring art maven Kimberly Drew.Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Your limbs, or even your entire upper body, may jerk or thrash in the process.Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 Nov. 2024
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Yanking a zipper shut is more likely to break teeth or jerk the slider off the track.Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 17 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Jason Kelce turns around, grabs someone’s cellphone, and spikes it to the ground.Andrew Torgan, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
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If not, grab your handheld vacuum to remove any dirt, crumbs and dead skin from the cushion.Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In this polarizing election climate, watch for the four biases that Harris will most likely face as the first woman of color to run for president in the U.S.: the tightrope, maternal wall, prove it again and tug of war biases.Julie Kratz, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
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Kneeling before me, a genderless cutie in a leather dog mask begs for another round of rope tug.Bae Leche, refinery29.com, 3 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Fans especially loved when Samantha would wrinkle her nose and twitch, activating her magic.Angela Andaloro, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
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Signs that your pup is in their REM phase of sleep include paw twitching, change in breathing, eye flickering, whimpering, barking, body twitching, and tail swishing.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Rachel, always a champ, manages to pluck it out while everyone in the shelter ignores her.Brian Moylan, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
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At first glance, the kitchen might look plucked from the 19th century, but there are marble countertops and stainless steel appliances that bring it up to date.Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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While a players goes in at his own risk, that does not allow a fan to attempt to rip a glove off a hand, or a ball out of a mitt, or an arm off of a body.Dan Freedman, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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The change, which takes effect at the end of the week, comes as Nvidia continues to rip higher while Intel languishes in the artificial intelligence race.Jesse Pound,Samantha Subin, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Boeing has been lurching from crisis to crisis since January when the door panel blew off a near-new 737 MAX plane in midair, leading to the departure of Kelly's predecessor, Dave Calhoun.Dan Catchpole and Allison Lampert, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024
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Rather than succumbing to intoxication over the killing of Nasrallah and lurching into a full-scale, devastating regional war against Iran, Israel should take advantage of its current battlefield edge and Hamas’s and Hezbollah’s weakened state.Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 4 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near yank
Cite this Entry
“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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