yank

1 of 3

verb

yanked; yanking; yanks

intransitive verb

: to pull on something with a quick vigorous movement

transitive verb

1
: to pull or extract with a quick vigorous movement
2
: to remove in or as if in an abrupt manner
yanked the story from the evening edition

yank

2 of 3

noun (1)

: a strong sudden pull : jerk

Yank

3 of 3

noun (2)

: yankee

Examples of yank in a Sentence

Verb He yanked the door shut. She yanked on the dog's leash. Noun (1) had to give the shoe a good yank to get it off
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Verb
In another instance, footage shows the child was yanked to the ground so hard that her foot came up over her head. Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 8 Dec. 2024 When they get caught almost kissing at a pool party, the girl’s boyfriend yanks her away by the hair and screams at the both of them, only for the first girl to start beating him up. James Factora, Them, 4 Dec. 2024
Noun
The resulting specs: 434 ponies and 525 lb-ft of yank. Sean Evans, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2024 With tugs and yanks and positive feedback, a planetary makeover began that is rampant today. Stephen Pyne, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for yank 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1822, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (1)

circa 1864, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1778, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of yank was in 1778

Dictionary Entries Near yank

Cite this Entry

“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yank. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

yank

1 of 3 noun
: a strong sudden pull : jerk

yank

2 of 3 verb
: to pull suddenly or forcefully

Yank

3 of 3 noun
: yankee

More from Merriam-Webster on yank

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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