Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

yank

/ˈjeɪ̯ŋk/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.00 in modern English

Syllables: yank
IPA: /ˈjeɪ̯ŋk/

11

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A sudden, vigorous pull (sometimes defined as mass times jerk, or rate of change of force).

noun

An act of masturbation.

Slang

noun

Alternative form of shank (“stabbing weapon”).

Slang

noun

The rate of change in force with respect to time.

verb

To pull (something) with a quick, strong action.

Transitive verb

verb

To remove; to recall or revoke.

Informal; Transitive verb

verb

Slang

noun

Alternative letter-case form of Yank (“Yankee”).

Derogatory

Example Sentences

"He unjammed the rope with a short yank."
"He rested his hand on his bare chest, an innocent enough spot, but soon it drifted of its own accord down his stomach to slide beneath the waistband of his briefs. Fine. A quick yank would relieve the sexual tension that simmered in him."
"Tell my young bad, she can vouch for me I was only thirteen with a yank on me"
"Now a white-backed rams its head down the wildebeest’s throat and yanks out an eight-inch length of trachea, ribbed like a vacuum hose."
"[Regarding risks of AI] And you just have to have somebody close to the power cord. [Laughs.]^([sic]) Right when you see it about to happen, you gotta yank that electricity out of the wall, man."
"They yanked the product as soon as they learned it was unsafe."

Etymology

Attested since 1822; from Scots yank. Unknown origin.

Word Breakdown

Root: yank

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈjeɪ̯ŋk/

Usage

Inflected Forms

yanks (plural) yanks (present, singular) yanking (participle, present) yanked (participle, past) yanked (past)

Derived Forms

yanker Yankism Yankland Yankophile Yankophilic Yankspeak

Phrases

rank and yank yank around yank off yank one's crank yank someone's chain yank someone's crank

Frequently Paired Words

Yankee

Synonyms

jerk tug fap wank beat one's meat celebrating Palm Sunday choking the chicken ham shank hand shandy Hand Solo ipsation jacking off

Rhymes With

thank bank frank tank rank blank drank hank prank sank flank crank

Questions

How do you pronounce yank?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈjeɪ̯ŋk/.
What does yank mean?: A sudden, vigorous pull (sometimes defined as mass times jerk, or rate of change of force).
Where does yank come from?: Attested since 1822; from Scots yank. Unknown origin.

How to pronounce yank

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “yank”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈjeɪ̯ŋk/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “yank”.
Repeat and practice — Say “yank” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.