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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

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.