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Synonyms

yank

1 American  
[yangk] / yæŋk /

verb (used with or without object)

  1. to pull or remove abruptly and vigorously.

    Yank down on the bell rope. He was yanked out of school.
    Synonyms:
    tear, tug, pluck

noun

  1. an abrupt, vigorous pull; jerk.

Yank 2 American  
[yangk] / yæŋk /

noun

Informal.

  1. Yankee.

Yank 1 British  
/ jæŋk /

noun

  1. a slang word for an American

  2. informal short for Yankee

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
yank 2 British  
/ jæŋk /

verb

  1. to pull, jerk, or move with a sharp movement; tug

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a sharp jerking movement; tug

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of yank1

First recorded in 1810–20; origin uncertain

Origin of Yank2

An Americanism dating back to 1770–80; shortened form

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.

Every plot detail feels like a balloon drifting ever so slowly into the air, waiting for a character to grab the string and yank the story balloon back down to reiterate it.

From Salon • Jan. 25, 2026

The team still needs to haul the balloon to the ground and yank open the release vents.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

He lets the witch and fairy pull the trigger cord this time; they yank so hard they topple onto their keisters.

From Slate • Jul. 7, 2025

At one point Mr Justice Alexander Owens asked: "Did you yank this out in order to make the allegation against Mr Adams a bit bigger? To give it beef?"

From BBC • May 14, 2025

With one final yank, I wonder if I’ll wake up as a balloon animal, pinched off in the spots the suit covers.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.