From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishyankyank /jæŋk/ verb [intransitive, transitive] informalPULL to suddenly pull something quickly and with forceyank something out/back/open etc One of the men grabbed Tom’s hair and yanked his head back. Nick yanked the door open.yank on/at With both hands she yanked at the necklace. —yank noun [countable] He gave the rope a yank.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
yank• He reached and enclosed the boy in his great hammock of an arm, and with the other arm began to yank.• Liz yanked at her arm, and she stumbled a few steps, digging in her heels.• Five children were yanked by arm or hand across a road.• Smiling wryly, he fetched the lead and yanked Clytemnestra from the best armchair.• The scales have been yanked from an 8-foot-tall statue of Justice.• Hands vanished around the room, yanked from the maws of a closing trap.• The other girls surrounded her, calling her names and yanking her hair.• The child's mother caught him just in time, and yanked him away from the kerb.• His friends grabbed him and yanked him to his feet.• He yanks me up by the hair.• She pulled one of her white ceremonial gowns over my head and yanked my arms.• Buddy yanked the drawer open, and took out the gun.yank on/at• The boys, meanwhile, were yanking on elastic-sided ankle boots; very hip, very Beatles.• Liz yanked at her arm, and she stumbled a few steps, digging in her heels.• Kate yanked at her jeans and, zipping up, ran back to what was left of the hut.• He tore the top two buttons off my shirt when he yanked at me from behind.• See how earnest she is, the minister shouted to the witnesses as he yanked on my elbow.• Lincoln stayed right beside me, pressing against me as I yanked on the car door, having trouble getting it open.• Suddenly he yanked at the covers and lunged towards me.• I yanked at the window; it was nailed.YankYank (also Yankee) noun [countable] British English informal SANan American – often used to show disapprovalExamples from the Corpus
Yank• Very few Yanks, so the minute we walk in, everyone checks us out.• She's got that unappetizing little Yank in tow, and she's feeding him the Authorized Version.• Brian and I recounted the awful journey, but, of course, all the Yanks had been through the same ordeal.• That the Yanks will win in the end?• The Yanks are tough and angry, apart from one who is small and blonde.• The Yanks are turning this country into a colony.• We Yanks have no defense for this.Origin Yank (1700-1800) Yankee 