1
as in jerking
to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion
she stupidly yanked the wheel while I was driving
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in pulling
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 grabbing
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 yanking
Within seconds, officers in full riot gear surged forward in formation, yanking open the doors and pulling the passenger to safety.
—
Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
But some lawmakers say that argument is baseless and that yanking the grants has left the state less equipped to prevent tragedies like this week’s attack at Annunciation Catholic School.
—Curt Devine, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
See, for example, Trump yanking the security clearances of former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director Chris Krebs for his defense of the 2020 election as securely run.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 30 Aug. 2025
This status explains why Moody’s Investors Service yanking away Washington’s last AAA rating in May didn’t tank the dollar.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Earlier this month, the administration canceled the massive Lava Ridge Wind Project in Idaho, yanking permits approved last year.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
But this is real life, not fiction, and Loktev isn’t coldly observing her subjects from on high or yanking them along on unseen strings.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2025
With discreet camera movements, fluid cutting and supple pacing, the movie coaxes us into Lina’s world — and her unsettled psyche — rather than yanking us there or, conversely, holding us at a remove.
—Jon Frosch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
But some lawmakers say that argument is baseless and that yanking the grants has left the state less equipped to prevent tragedies like this week’s attack at Annunciation Catholic School.
—Curt Devine, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2025
See, for example, Trump yanking the security clearances of former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director Chris Krebs for his defense of the 2020 election as securely run.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 30 Aug. 2025
This status explains why Moody’s Investors Service yanking away Washington’s last AAA rating in May didn’t tank the dollar.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Earlier this month, the administration canceled the massive Lava Ridge Wind Project in Idaho, yanking permits approved last year.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 22 Aug. 2025
But this is real life, not fiction, and Loktev isn’t coldly observing her subjects from on high or yanking them along on unseen strings.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2025
With discreet camera movements, fluid cutting and supple pacing, the movie coaxes us into Lina’s world — and her unsettled psyche — rather than yanking us there or, conversely, holding us at a remove.
—Jon Frosch, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanking
Verb
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One video posted to the social platform X appeared to show Kirk addressing the students, at one point speaking about gang violence, before being struck near the neck and later jerking to his left side.—
Caroline Vakil,
The Hill,
10 Sep. 2025
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The story follows a Jewish family across five generations, from childhood to adulthood, blending laughs and tear-jerking moments, just like in Bob-Waksberg’s other shows.—
Braedon Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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All major indexes dipped slightly Tuesday, with tech shares such as Nvidia and Microsoft pulling back.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
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Good Times Oakland is pulling from a deep well of retail bottles, and has a bar for the public to sip and sup.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After grabbing an early lead Friday evening, the Royals were unable to match their hosts’ prolific offense on Friday.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
13 Sep. 2025
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The owner squeezed her hands into the mix of kittens, moving the babies and grabbing the one that did not belong, which turned out to be a tiny mouse.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Prior to the 2024 incident, Mangione reportedly shared information on Reddit about a number of health issues, including struggles with back pain, brain fog, and twitching leg muscles.—
Olivia-Anne Cleary,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
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Koberidze opens with a montage of cats, foot traffic, street dogs twitching in their sleep, statues and trees casting long shadows across buildings.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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According to Alixandra, who didn't share her surname, Sparrow masterminded her own midnight feast by toppling the feeder and prying off the lid.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
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This is about creating a childhood away from prying eyes, giving his children the space and support to enjoy being children without a care in the world.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk this week on a Utah college campus marks the latest example of violence tearing through American politics across centuries and the ideological spectrum.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
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Greenlaw hasn’t played a healthy season since tearing his Achilles in a fluke moment in February 2024’s Super Bowl.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Something must force the system into the new state, just like the woman gently tugging on Zeeman’s catastrophe machine.—
Gregory Barber,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
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Of course, amid the drama tugging at viewers’ heartstrings, the show will, in following 9-1-1 tradition, feature larger-than-life rescues, including of one tech billionaire (played by Mark Consuelos) who is swallowed by a whale.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Instead of including a real image, the email linked to malware capable of extracting data from recipients’ devices, according to Genians.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
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But while Newsom and Rivas were largely aligned on tempering the state’s ambitious climate goals amid the reality of rising costs, McGuire and his staff were wary of handing wins to polluting industries without extracting victories for environmental and social justice causes.—
CalMatters,
Oc Register,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanking. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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