Meaning of yank someone's chain | Babel Free

Definitions

1. To tease someone; to lead someone on; to goad someone into overreacting.
   idiomatic, informal
2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see yank, chain.

Examples

“Near-synonyms: poke, prod”

“So, be careful what you are paying attention to. If it looks like someone is yanking your chain, he or she probably is.”

““For the same reason you were yanking my chain about the double ropes,” I said. “You want to see if I'm going to be any help to you or a total idiot when it comes to this retail thing.””

“It was so easy to yank his chain, Tiree smirked to herself, as she dialled Les's London flat.”

CEFR level