yank
verb (used with or without object)
to pull or remove abruptly and vigorously.
is yanking
-
present progressiveof yank (3rd person singular).present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The latter, for instance, is yanking Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest” out of theaters this Friday after a two-week limited run, moving it onto the Apple TV+ streaming platform.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2025
But every time you hear it, someone else is yanking the strings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2025
“His two friends — one of them is yanking my hand and the other is yanking at my watch.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2021
When she looks up, her daughter, August, less than a year old, is yanking on her own hair, leaving a string of oatmeal lumps in her thick, curly locks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2016
I’m about to tell him I do, but already he is yanking me to the front of the store and out the opening door to the sidewalk.
From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez
