YANKING Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

yanking

verb

present participle of yank

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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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

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

reattaching

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 Shortly after, the video shows the same officer yanking him to the ground, punching and kicking him. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 Zabransky was the first person to reach Rabb in the end zone, yanking him into the air for a bear hug. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 3 Oct. 2026 There’s also an ending that revels in a form of catharsis — for the audience watching the play, not the movie — before yanking that, too, away. — David MacK, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2026 McCullough has left himself open to criticism by yanking several starting pitchers early in games, citing data that starters aren’t as effective when facing a batting order for a third time. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026 Sanders made field goals of 33, 51 and 52 yards, rebounding after yanking a 54-yard attempt short and left. — ABC News, 13 Sep. 2026 Sandra Ogbebor hunches over her softly humming refrigerator and scours through bottles before finally yanking out an orange juice. — Light Oriye Tamunotonye, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sep. 2026 Video shows teams of workers yanking ropes to ferry locals who were stranded on an embankment flanked by a flooded river. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026 An Arkansas State Police trooper was captured on dashcam footage yanking the passenger of a vehicle by his hair and punching him in the face after a high-speed chase that ended in the streets of Blytheville. — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for yanking

Verb

And like any great sitcom, Friends runs the gamut from numbing brain-rot to tear-jerking sentimentality.

— Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026
Even after a bailiff woke him up, Martin slumped over in his wheelchair, inside a courtroom bullpen, occasionally jerking and opening his eyes.

— Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of jerking

Verb

Safe haven demand temporarily outweighed inflation fears, prompting capital to exit risk assets and flow into the Treasury market, thereby pulling yields lower.

— , CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Through July, O’Hare held a cash advantage of $707,000 to Simmons’s $67,000, with his campaign pulling $135,000 from oil and gas companies alone.

— Rachel Royster. Produced with AI assistance, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of pulling

Verb

Friday’s exhibition contest featured a 22-0 KU run in the first half, the Jayhawks responding to Pitt State grabbing an early 22-21 lead.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026
Keeping the shoes simple with a more eye-grabbing dress has been her outfit formula as of late.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of grabbing

Verb

This is not easy for Robin (Griffin), who, judging by his nervously twitching legs and tendency to info-dump on interlocutors, finds ordinary interactions very stressful.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
Green said his symptoms began when his feet started twitching in his sleep.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026

Definition of twitching

Verb

Or two birds face-to-face in close proximity, covering themselves with their wings as if to share a secret kiss away from prying eyes, could evoke a giggle.

— Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
Davidson was thrust into a reality-TV world of prying paparazzi and untold media scrutiny.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of prying

Verb

The family captured the moment a massive marine mammal slammed into the side of their boat, ripping a door from its hinges and tearing a hole in the hull.

— Jennifer McLogan, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
CorneaCare’s Self Heating Warm Compresses deliver instant warmth plus hydrated minerals aimed at dryness, fatigue, tearing and puffiness.

— Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of tearing

Verb

Sitting in a boat, tugging their house behind them, the journey initially appears to be going smoothly.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
The sweet gallery opens with Rocki tugging at a large wig placed on her head as Rihanna can be heard laughing in the background.

— Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of tugging

Verb

The Falcon-Emirati model and related tools for speech recognition and extracting Arabic text from images and documents are relatively compact.

— Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Over the past quarter century, foreign direct investment across sub-Saharan Africa has remained relatively flat—around two to three percent as a share of GDP—and most of it has gone to extracting oil, diamonds, and gold and other minerals.

— Jared Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of extracting

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“Yanking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yanking. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of yanking

verb

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