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
With Dexter Lawrence of the New York Jets, Tampa Bay’s Vita Vea and Seattle’s Leonard Williams anchoring the strength test, the AFC got yanked into a foam pit twice in a best-of-three event. Mark Long, Chicago Tribune, 2 Feb. 2025 In his defence, Chris knows that Min’s student visa is about to expire, and that his wealthy grandma (Youn Yuh-jung) is about to yank him back to Korea to take up a job in the family business. Damon Wise, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2025
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 11 Feb. 2025.

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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