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
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.
Recent Examples of yanking
In both cases, as the danger was spreading through the waters of the Florida reefs, scientists were busily yanking surviving corals out of the water and saving them in aquariums across the state.
—
Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Mel Brooks’ best comedy shares many similarities with his other revered films – a strong grip of genre beats, a non-stop barrage of gags yanking us forward, and an eagerness to give every performer a chance to comedically shine.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
On the cover, the singer is on all fours beside a faceless man who is yanking her hair.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 19 Oct. 2025
Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky has taken the next logical step in making a Black Hawk helicopter autonomous by not only installing the gear needed for self-flying, but by yanking out the entire cockpit and replacing it with cargo doors.
—David Szondy
october 13, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2025
However, she was momentarily stopped when one concert goer grabbed her, violently yanking her backwards and into the barricade.
—Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Neil Young is yanking his music from Amazon, the rock star announced this week.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
They are accused of yanking open a faulty cell door, removing a toilet from the wall, and crawling through a hole to flee.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
The latest cuts go further, yanking support for low-carbon hydrogen, virtual power plants, and electric grid improvements in addition to carbon removal.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Mel Brooks’ best comedy shares many similarities with his other revered films – a strong grip of genre beats, a non-stop barrage of gags yanking us forward, and an eagerness to give every performer a chance to comedically shine.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
On the cover, the singer is on all fours beside a faceless man who is yanking her hair.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 19 Oct. 2025
Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky has taken the next logical step in making a Black Hawk helicopter autonomous by not only installing the gear needed for self-flying, but by yanking out the entire cockpit and replacing it with cargo doors.
—David Szondy
october 13, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2025
However, she was momentarily stopped when one concert goer grabbed her, violently yanking her backwards and into the barricade.
—Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
Neil Young is yanking his music from Amazon, the rock star announced this week.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
They are accused of yanking open a faulty cell door, removing a toilet from the wall, and crawling through a hole to flee.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 8 Oct. 2025
The latest cuts go further, yanking support for low-carbon hydrogen, virtual power plants, and electric grid improvements in addition to carbon removal.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanking
Verb
-
Having documented much of her daughter’s health battle on social media, Atkinson shared the footage of her tear-jerking wish on TikTok (@kayatkin).—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Sounds like the plot of a tear-jerking movie, no?—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Finn Balor is particularly upset with Mysterio for not pulling his weight within the faction.—
Fernando Quiles Jr,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Oct. 2025
-
In a video shared by the department, Sandy could be heard screaming as officers carried out their rescue operation by pulling her collar.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
These are especially useful for taking public transport, grabbing a quick coffee, or leaving a small tip at a restaurant.—
Asia London Palomba,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Peterson led the way, scoring 26 points — 24 before halftime — and grabbing four rebounds.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Any dairy farmer can tell you that biting flies are a pestilent scourge for cattle herds, which is why one so often sees cows throwing their heads, stamping their feet, flicking their tails, and twitching their skin—desperately trying to shake off the nasty creatures.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
According to police, the burglaries were committed with a prying tool, which was used to gain access to businesses after hours.—
Matthew Medsger,
Boston Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Despite increasingly menacing warnings to back off and stop prying into the lives of rich power players thorny about their privacy, Lo remains determined to get to the truth.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Synthetic chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), commonly used in refrigerants and aerosol cans, were tearing holes in the ozone layer, letting harmful ultraviolet radiation pour through.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Photos of a bulldozer tearing through the wing’s facade went viral on social media this week, sparking criticism from historical societies and some political figures.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
When you’re done, simply pop open the large dustbin and empty debris directly into the trash—no tugging out tangled hair or gunk required.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Concurrently, the events leading to Sutton’s death keep tugging at the edges of his mind.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This involves using a needle introduced into the growth and extracting a few cells and then examining those cells.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The key to extracting maximum possible power from this process is the membrane.—
Tejasri Gururaj,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Yanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanking. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share