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
Verb
More bad news followed as the local impact of Paramount Global reining in spend on original international drama kicked in – German shows were yanked off the streamer and projects in the works canned. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 25 June 2024 One buck stuck his head up to the apple tree and yanked down on the tree to reach another apple. Lizzy Alspach, Baltimore Sun, 21 June 2024
Noun
With tugs and yanks and positive feedback, a planetary makeover began that is rampant today. Stephen Pyne, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024 Only the snarl of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 will give away that this wagon’s packing 603 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of yank. Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for yank 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'yank.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 30 Jun. 2024.

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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