yank out a big handful of your hair

Question

Did you know that you don't have to worry about your hair breaking? If someone tried to yank out a big hand ful of your hair, it might hurt but it wouldn't break.

First, does the part in bold sound right; if not, how would you word it?

Second, do both yank and yank out sound right? Thanks.

BarbaraPA · Accepted Answer

Yank means to pull.

Yank out means to remove by pulling out.

You can yank on someone's ponytail without any intention of trying to pull it out.

The overall sentences read fine to me.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Did you know that you don't have to worry about your hair breaking? If someone tried to yank out a big hand ful of your hair, it might hurt but it wouldn't break.

First, does the part in bold sound right; if not, how would you word it? I guess it sounds OK, in a context where you are discussing hair in detail..

Second, do both yank and yank out sound right? Generally speaking, 'yank' means 'pull violently' and 'yank out' means to pull something so violently that it is removed from the thing that it is part of (in your example, 'yank out' means to pull your hair so hard that it is removed from your head).

Best wishes, Clive

Angliholic · Answer

Grammar GeekYank means to pull.

Yank out means to remove by pulling out.

You can yank on someone's ponytail without any intention of trying to pull it out.

The overall sentences read fine to me.

Thanks, GG, for your beneficial reply.

CalifJim · Answer

does the part in bold sound right

Yes.

do both yank and yank out sound right?

No. In my opinion you need yank out.

yank (on) means tug at, pull on.
yank out means remove by pulling forcefully and quickly.
Sometimes, yank is the same as yank out.

Yank the chain, and the doorbell will ring. (You wouldn't yank out the chain! That would destroy the mechanism! You can also use yank on the chain here.)
The dentist yanked out my tooth. (He would not yank on your tooth; that would not remove it. But some people would say that he yanked your tooth. I don't usually use yank that way. I say yank out.)

CJ

Angliholic · Answer

CliveHi,

Did you know that you don't have to worry about your hair breaking? If someone tried to yank out a big hand ful of your hair, it might hurt but it wouldn't break.

First, does the part in bold sound right; if not, how would you word it? I guess it sounds OK, in a context where you are discussing hair in detail..

Second, do both yank and yank out sound right? Generally speaking, 'yank' means 'pull violently' and 'yank out' means to pull something so violently that it is removed from the thing that it is part of (in your example, 'yank out' means to pull your hair so hard that it is removed from your head).

Best wishes, Clive

Thanks, Clivem for the clear and beneficial and explanation.

I get it now.

yank out a big handful of your hair

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