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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of yanking
Now, with the federal and state government yanking back plenty of that funding and directly barring the city from enacting some of its more aggressive climate plans, Higgins is left with a narrow road to tread toward progress.
—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2026
The virtual oar-yanking celebration in a baseball atmosphere was one of those weird juxtapositions that seem to get fostered whenever a World Cup fanbase descends upon a host city.
—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
26 June 2026
Keep the movement coming from your ribs, rotating, not by yanking your neck.
—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
23 June 2026
Counsell admitted postgame that yanking Imanaga might not have been the right move.
—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
There are stories of major Nashville players yanking him off the street, keeping him drunk for days in hotels, then leaving Knoxville with stacks of new songs.
—
Jonathan Rowe,
SPIN,
1 June 2026
Manny Machado got the Padres back on top by yanking a home run down the left field line and off the foul pole in the fourth while King proceeded to mow down the Nationals with rare efficiency.
—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
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
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2026
The virtual oar-yanking celebration in a baseball atmosphere was one of those weird juxtapositions that seem to get fostered whenever a World Cup fanbase descends upon a host city.
—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
26 June 2026
Keep the movement coming from your ribs, rotating, not by yanking your neck.
—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
23 June 2026
Counsell admitted postgame that yanking Imanaga might not have been the right move.
—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
There are stories of major Nashville players yanking him off the street, keeping him drunk for days in hotels, then leaving Knoxville with stacks of new songs.
—
Jonathan Rowe,
SPIN,
1 June 2026
Manny Machado got the Padres back on top by yanking a home run down the left field line and off the foul pole in the fourth while King proceeded to mow down the Nationals with rare efficiency.
—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanking
Verb
-
Watching their relationship devolve (never more so than when their sperm donor, a rakish, motorcycle-driving restaurant owner played by Mark Ruffalo, enters the scene) is most definitely a tear-jerking experience, as is the film’s final scene.
-
Some were petty — like Reese committing a foul against Clark, then jerking her head back, impersonating Clark as a flopper.
Verb
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And often, data centers are pulling from municipal water supplies, Anisfeld said.
-
Haaland’s winning goal came after another bout of yanking and pulling; the striker tried to free himself by slapping the defender’s arm away, eventually just carrying on regardless.
Verb
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Americans are grabbing their passports and fleeing the country in hopes of leaving the nation’s problems behind.
-
Swanson argues those behind-the-scenes improvements have done more to modernize logistics than many of the industry’s headline-grabbing automation projects.
Verb
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There is something cultish about that idea — the player who tends not to start but has the knack to appear later on with antennae twitching, ready to seize the day and alter the course of a match.
-
Leon Stetson was allegedly twitching, so officers moved him away from Carrie Stetson and started to render medical aid.
Verb
-
These evergreen or deciduous shrubs protect your garden oasis from prying eyes and create a sense of solitude.
-
The two have already had a few chats away from prying eyes and shared a few kisses.
Verb
-
Rats, cockroaches and weasels run amok, tearing through limp tent sheets and biting children and newborn babies in their sleep.
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That conversation completely shifted Taylor’s perspective, inspiring her to see the home's original features as something worth building around, instead of tearing out.
Verb
-
Jude, meanwhile, was shifting from tossing cones to tugging at his ears, afflicted with the same malady that had landed several of the toddlers on the room’s version of the injury list.
-
These ergonomic neoprene handle wraps provide additional cushioning around the handles of your carry-on or checked suitcase, a dream for tired, achy hands after a day of tugging luggage.
Verb
-
The government is also extracting data from devices that law enforcement recently seized, Winik added.
-
The organizations extracting the most value have redesigned workflows around what AI makes possible.
Cite this Entry
“Yanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanking. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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