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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of yanking
The lifeguard pursued me in a gray metal dinghy with a bullhorn, ordering me out of the water and yanking me up over the side of his boat.
—
Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Essentially, yanking gravity away is another tool, just like temperature or pressure, that drug manufacturers can apply to improve their products.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026
Now, the Sentinel has learned, Florida is taking an inconsistent approach to cleaning up its mess, yanking the licenses of 47 nurses who attended schools cited by the FBI but allowing others to keep working, even when it has been alerted to their shortcomings.
—Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026
Surveillance video obtained by affiliate FOX 4 Dallas showed Ramirez yanking the father out of the driver's side of his car and forcefully trying to get inside.
—Alexandra Koch , Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
After Correa doubled leading off the first against Tanner Bibee, Alvarez followed by yanking a curveball from the right-hander 422 feet over the wall in right field to give the Astros a 2-0 lead that held up for nine innings.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
Supporters in labor unions and in the House soon began yanking their endorsements.
—Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
The video shows the pacing man pounding on the front door and attempting to kick it in before yanking down a hanging doorbell fixture near the entryway and hurling it at the doorway.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
But cystic fibrosis was a tether, yanking O’Neal back home for treatments.
—Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Essentially, yanking gravity away is another tool, just like temperature or pressure, that drug manufacturers can apply to improve their products.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026
Now, the Sentinel has learned, Florida is taking an inconsistent approach to cleaning up its mess, yanking the licenses of 47 nurses who attended schools cited by the FBI but allowing others to keep working, even when it has been alerted to their shortcomings.
—Annie Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 May 2026
Surveillance video obtained by affiliate FOX 4 Dallas showed Ramirez yanking the father out of the driver's side of his car and forcefully trying to get inside.
—Alexandra Koch , Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026
After Correa doubled leading off the first against Tanner Bibee, Alvarez followed by yanking a curveball from the right-hander 422 feet over the wall in right field to give the Astros a 2-0 lead that held up for nine innings.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
Supporters in labor unions and in the House soon began yanking their endorsements.
—Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
The video shows the pacing man pounding on the front door and attempting to kick it in before yanking down a hanging doorbell fixture near the entryway and hurling it at the doorway.
—Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
But cystic fibrosis was a tether, yanking O’Neal back home for treatments.
—Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanking
Verb
-
Avoid jerking the floss or aggressive movements; instead, use smooth, gentle motions.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
12 May 2026
-
During their first night together, just for an instant, Nikki appears to glitch, jerking back mid-kiss and looking at him with blind panic instead of undying affection.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The Wall Street wine guys of the eighties, now elderly, seem to be pulling the ladder up behind them.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
This entire island’s economy used to depend on them pulling the heavy wooden wheels of old-school olive presses.—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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The driver who picked up the goods told FT that grabbing items in the location takes roughly five minutes, while the same trip to a Walmart Supercenter store could take 25 minutes.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
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The Limitless Lash Mascara is especially worth grabbing while it’s marked down.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Here, American fighter planes, cargo ships and Japanese freighters have spent decades transforming into thriving artificial reefs, draped in coral and surrounded by twitching clouds of tropical fish.—
Dea Jusufi,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
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Curry’s body began convulsing and twitching with increasing severity, consistent with him sustaining a traumatic brain injury from being punched in the face, documents state.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These evergreen or deciduous shrubs protect your garden oasis from prying eyes and create a sense of solitude.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
14 May 2026
-
It’s built with recycled aluminum and features a camera privacy shutter to keep your secret identity safe from prying eyes.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Katie Lou Samuelson, Collier’s UConn classmate, missed the 2025 season after tearing her ACL during training camp with the Seattle Storm.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
11 May 2026
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One of the state’s most infamous tornadoes, this massive F4 touched down near Holliday before tearing into Wichita Falls.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Before the film's presentation, the actress was seen playfully tugging at her husband's blazer.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
12 May 2026
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The gel formula swipes onto the lids without any skipping or tugging, giving you ample time to smudge, sculpt, or sharpen the line before the brand’s patented PermaLock Technology sets it into a waterproof, transfer-proof, and smudge-proof finish.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
The second part focuses on extracting everything from the vault without triggering a full security response.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
15 May 2026
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Tracks may start with classy piano, but subtlety is almost never the end product; the group wields sidechains like a bandolier, extracting the maximum possible velocity in every kick while retaining the gooey melodic centre.—
Nathan Evans,
Pitchfork,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Yanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanking. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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