yank
/jæŋk/ (bre, ipa) · [jˈæŋk] /jæŋk/ (ame, ipa) · [jˈæŋk] /ˈyaŋk/ (ame, mw)
yank — verb
- yankpresent simple I / you / we / they
- yankshe / she / it
- yankedpast simple
- yanking-ing form
1. to give something one sharp, strong pull, often so hard that the thing moves sud
to give something one sharp, strong pull, often so hard that the thing moves suddenly or comes loose.
Tunde yanked the rope to ring the school bell at the start of break.
yank + object: yank the rope
The fisherman yanked the cord and the outboard motor sputtered to life.
narrative subject + concrete object; physical force on a starter cord
Maeve yanked open the desk drawer and grabbed her passport before running out.
Stop yanking at my sleeve like that, Padma — I can hear you perfectly well.
Andrés yanked the weeds out of the flower bed with his bare hands.
文法句型
yank + object
yank + object + adverb/preposition
yank at + object
用法筆記
Subject is typically a person; the object is something that resists, sticks, or is attached (a rope, a handle, a cord, a stuck drawer). Distinguish from sense 2 (REMOVE ABRUPTLY): sense 1 stays in the physical realm — the hand actually pulls a tangible thing.
常見錯誤
2. to take a person, product, programme, or item away from where it currently is, d
to take a person, product, programme, or item away from where it currently is, doing so quickly and often without warning, especially because something has gone wrong.
The network yanked the talk show off the air after the host insulted a guest.
yank + object + off the air: cancel a broadcast suddenly
Rin's parents yanked her out of the boarding school when fees rose sharply.
yank + person + out of [institution]: remove from school/programme
Regulators yanked the painkiller from pharmacy shelves after three fatal overdoses.
The coach yanked Cole from the game in the second quarter and never explained why.
文法句型
yank + object + from + place/role
yank + object + off + thing
用法筆記
Subject is usually an institution or person with authority (a network, a regulator, a coach, a parent). Object is something or someone currently embedded in a public role, programme, market, or game. Distinguish from sense 1 (PULL HARD): sense 2 is metaphorical — no actual hand is doing any pulling.
常見錯誤
yank — noun
- yanksingular
- yanksplural
1. one sharp, strong pulling motion done to an object so that it moves, opens, or c
one sharp, strong pulling motion done to an object so that it moves, opens, or comes loose.
With one good yank, Tamar pulled the rotten plank free from the porch.
one + yank: counting the motion
Élise gave the curtain a sharp yank to close out the morning sun.
give + object + a yank: typical verbal phrase
A firm yank on the cord finally started the old lawn mower in the garden.
Anong felt a small yank at her sleeve and turned to see her daughter crying.
- push
force in the opposite direction
文法句型
a yank at/on + object
give + object + a yank
用法筆記
Subject is almost always a person; the noun behaves like 'pull' or 'tug' but emphasises sudden force. Frequently appears in the frame 'give [object] a yank'.
常見錯誤
2. an American citizen, used as a label by speakers from outside the United States;
an American citizen, used as a label by speakers from outside the United States; sometimes friendly, sometimes mocking, depending on tone.
Aylin's grandfather still calls every tourist in shorts and a baseball cap a yank.
non-American speaker using the label
Two Yanks at the next table argued about which baseball team had the better pitcher.
plural capitalised: the Yanks; British/Australian speech
Maja teased Christopher for sounding like a proper yank whenever he ordered coffee in London.
Chidi's grandmother served tea to the yanks stationed near her village during the war.
文法句型
a yank
the Yanks (plural, often capitalised)
用法筆記
This sense is used mostly by British, Irish, Australian, and other non-American speakers. Tone ranges from affectionate to dismissive — Americans themselves rarely apply the word to one another. Distinguish from sense 1 (SHARP PULL): this sense is a person, not an action.