plural yo-yos
1
: a thick grooved double disk with a string attached to its center axle that is made to fall and rise to the hand by unwinding and rewinding on the string
2
: a condition or situation marked by regular fluctuations from one extreme to another
3
: a stupid or foolish person
: shifting back and forth or up and down uncertainly or unexpectedly
yo-yoed; yo-yoing
: to move from one position to another repeatedly : fluctuate
the stock price yo-yoed
Synonyms
Noun
Examples of yo-yo in a Sentence
Noun
some yo-yo cut the electricity off while I still had unsaved data
those yo-yos who insist upon using their cell phones while speeding down the highway
Recent Examples on the Web
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2024
Apparently, there was some great force missing from the textbooks—one that was capable of yanking temperatures around like a yo-yo.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Matt Porter, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2023
Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for yo-yo 
Noun
The fear is that if the economy is too strong, a reduction in the base rate could spike inflation, creating a yo-yo effect on the base rate.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2024
Apparently, there was some great force missing from the textbooks—one that was capable of yanking temperatures around like a yo-yo.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Related: It’s been a yo-yo season for the Bruins’ Jakub Lauko.
—Matt Porter, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2023
Verb
Michigan gas prices continue to yo-yo, falling more than a dime in the last week to a statewide average of $3.60 a gallon for regular unleaded, as motorists pay about $54 for a 15-gallon tank, as crude oil prices fall, according to AAA auto club.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 6 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for yo-yo
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'yo-yo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Yo-yo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yo-yo. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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