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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of yank
Erica Sloan, SELF, 20 June 2025
Four yanks later, voila: Clayton had pulled free his prize, leaving just a single strand of nylon stuck in the Alamodome rim.
—Brendan Marks, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
As the smell intensified, Lina crossed to the front door of her apartment, undid the lock, and yanked the sticky door open.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for yank
Noun
Running on a level surface (in supportive shoes—see above!) can serve as plenty a cardio workout without the extra yank on your plantar fascia.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 20 June 2025
Four yanks later, voila: Clayton had pulled free his prize, leaving just a single strand of nylon stuck in the Alamodome rim.
—Brendan Marks, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen got yanked after giving up his fourth goal – at least two were eminently stoppable – for Alex Lyon.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 22 Apr. 2026
As the smell intensified, Lina crossed to the front door of her apartment, undid the lock, and yanked the sticky door open.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
Noun
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The large question now is whether a more corporate style of management at Movistar Plus+ in Spain will entail a pull back in film and TV investment, especially in top-flight artistically ambitious film/TV directors who have taken Movistar Plus+ onto the international stage.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
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They are drawn in by the possibility of an exciting pull—similar to how a bettor might be enticed by a long-shot parlay translating to big winnings.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The plane jerked to a stop as two trucks passed just feet in front of its nose.—
Alexandra Skores,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
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In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rivera’s defense team contended that the gun went off inadvertently in a struggle after Rosen reached into the car and grabbed Rivera.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Walsh locked down Maxey out of a Sixers timeout to force a turnover, and the Celtics grabbed four offensive rebounds on one first-quarter possession, with Walsh and Scheierman accounting for three of them.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Instead, use your thumb and forefinger to grasp the berry at the stem and give it a gentle tug.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
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Matching net-zero targets The Svitzer Balder is an innovative TRAnsverse tug design.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Pebbles twitched, branches waggled, cholla wiggled, weeds erupted then dried up and died.—
Alina Hartounian,
NPR,
20 Apr. 2026
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The launch can also be viewed on NASA's social media platforms include Facebook, twitch and X as well as NASA+, the agency's streaming service.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Orion capsule will be returned to NASA's Kennedy Space Center for additional study following the mission — but before it was plucked from the ocean, the divers managed to capture images of the capsule and its heat shield underwater.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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The Vikings also plucked Ryan Van Demark as a restricted free agent from the Buffalo Bills.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The mood was optimistic, described as a night-and-day shift from last year’s conference, right after MAGA had ripped through the Democratic coalition.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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One person in Atlanta has appeared in his videos as Batman villains, for free, dressed in homemade costumes that look like they were ripped straight from the television or movies.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Wembanyama lurched forward, toppled and slammed the right side of his face on the floor.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
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When robots lurched, slipped, and occasionally froze mid-stride at the 2026 Beijing half-marathon on April 19, the internet quickly turned the spectacle into a meme.—
Ni Tao,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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