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
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Recent Examples of yank
Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
Now the big question is whether all the regulators pulling on the buckles and loops of Boeing’s straitjacket, with a potential yank from Justice to come, will seriously delay what looked like the start of strong comeback.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024
Matt Egan, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025
Then along comes a project that yanks you from that shapeless sack of gloom.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yank
Noun
Only the snarl of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 will give away that this wagon’s packing 603 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of yank.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024
Now the big question is whether all the regulators pulling on the buckles and loops of Boeing’s straitjacket, with a potential yank from Justice to come, will seriously delay what looked like the start of strong comeback.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024
Verb
President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada offended leaders there to the point that Ontario fired back by yanking American booze from store shelves.
—Matt Egan, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025
Then along comes a project that yanks you from that shapeless sack of gloom.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for yank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yank
Noun
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Activities include a champagne reception with a variety of games where everyone wins a prize for their donation (for example, a $25 chance at the prize wheel will win the donor a $25 gift certificate) and a wine pull.—
Elizabeth Marie Himchak,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Apr. 2025
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Containing around 400 powerful volcanoes, Io is influenced by Jupiter’s gravitational pull and the pull of the planet’s other moons.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This apparently spooked an SUV driver in the next lane, who jerked the wheel to the left and ran into the opposite curb.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Mar. 2025
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How to jerk off Jerking off, also known as jacking off, is another technique that can be helpful in your arsenal of self-pleasure.—
Quispe López,
Them,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Antetokounmpo finished the game by scoring 36 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and blocking two shots.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
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Police said that once Davis left the apartment, the surviving 10-year-old quickly grabbed her baby brother, locked the door and called for help.—
Chris Spargo,
People.com,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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For example, the sun’s gravity tugs harder on the moon than Earth’s does!—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
21 Mar. 2025
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Aviles was slapped with a red card after a tackle in the penalty area and a shirt tug that was deemed a denial of a scoring chance for New York.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Kirk says that when a cat experiences changes in air pressure, which can also happen while riding in a car, their ears may move or twitch in response.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
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That ratio is naturally reversed here, though the director drops in a few snippets of the actual team near the beginning and the end, including a grainy, chilling shot of the real Lemons twitching near the ocean floor.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The actual smell of violet petals isn’t the result of plucking the flower to extract the fragrance.—
Fiona Embleton,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2025
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Each piece at the Vogue Vintage Market comes with a backstory—whether it’s been plucked from the runway, worn by a cultural icon, or handpicked by one of Vogue’s closest friends.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The bomb explodes at 9:02 a.m., ripping to ruins the nine-story structure.—
Todd Pendleton,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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The thought of being ripped from her home, without time to pack up her belongings or say goodbye to friends, shakes her to the core.—
Rebecca Plevin,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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But the ruling did little to herald any political stability in the country, which has lurched from crisis to crisis.—
Choe Sang-Hun,
New York Times,
24 Mar. 2025
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For the last six weeks, Americans have been yanked and ghosted, lurched and launched with a merciless urgency.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yank. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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