yawn 1 of 2

noun

Definition of yawnnext
as in bore
someone or something boring as neither candidate was willing to make an unequivocal statement about anything, the debate proved to be a complete yawn

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

yawn

2 of 2

verb

as in to snore

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of yawn
Noun
The results are only so-so as Tony Stark tussles with PTSD, criminally underused antagonist Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) and yawn-worthy villain Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce). — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026 At moments in the song, Minogue pitches the word down, a cavernous yawn resounding far from the lub-dub of forever. — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 26 July 2026
Verb
Eventually Ursula yawns and lumbers out of the den, with the cubs following. — Brooke Baitinger, Sacbee.com, 10 Apr. 2026 But now a desolate school year, long and full of needs not her own, yawned. — Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for yawn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yawn
  1. bore
  2. snore
  3. drip
  4. snort
  5. gasp
  6. sniff
  7. snuffle
  8. wheeze
Noun
  • Snow recently did an in-depth shoot-out of quarter-bore cartridges, new and old.
    — John B. Snow, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Virtually all those trips involved hassle that was a bore to write about and just as boring to read.
    — Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of bore
Verb
  • Pike was still snoring when the execution chamber's microphone was cut off more than an hour into the attempt.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Pike could still be heard snoring behind a closed curtain until the microphone was cut off nearly 30 minutes later.
    — Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of snore
Noun
  • Go to the 17th-floor wellness center, where there’s a zen infinity pool, a gym with a Thai boxing ring, and a medical spa, featuring treatments like Botox, body contouring, and IV drips.
    — Condé Nast, cntraveler.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • As soon as the first few teaspoons of coffee drip out, pour them into a small stainless steel bell creamer (or small metal bowl) and add the sugar.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of drip
Verb
  • Ketamine comes in both liquid and powder form, and Jane Doe alleges she was forced to snort a white, powdery substance that she was told was ketamine.
    — Violet Jira, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Brylan May, who met McCollough through her legal internship at the Writers Guild of America West in 2024, recalls once seeing McCollough snort a line of cocaine at a party and immediately throw up.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of snort
Verb
  • Eventually the curtain was closed again and the microphone in the room was turned off, but Pike could still be heard making gasping or snoring sounds.
    — Rebecca Boone, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Common symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, gasping for air during the night, and waking up feeling tired.
    — Lindsay Curtis, HEALTH, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of gasp
Verb
  • Linebacker Chase Smith sniffed out the run and got the fourth-down stop.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Alaniz then detained her for a drug-sniffing dog, which alerted to the vehicle.
    — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of sniff
Verb
  • Fava snuffled and dawdled and took her own sweet time up the sidewalk.
    — Dan Kois, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Next to arrive is her disembodied trunk, with a mind of its own, snuffling out friends and enemies and food.
    — Jesse Green, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024
Definition of snuffle
Verb
  • Their offense has sputtered and wheezed, even as their defense has done its part to keep them in games.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The defense struggled a bit in the first half with the reserves on the field even after producing a second-quarter interception, and the offense also gasped and wheezed with the reserves on the field.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of wheeze

Browse Nearby Words

yawls
yawn
yawned
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Yawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yawn. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All