diff --git a/packages/api-server/package.json b/packages/api-server/package.json
index e25159f93f74..e2c1ee7a7117 100644
--- a/packages/api-server/package.json
+++ b/packages/api-server/package.json
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
     "pretty-ms": "7.0.1",
     "qs": "6.10.3",
     "split2": "4.1.0",
-    "yargs": "16.2.0"
+    "yargs": "17.3.1"
   },
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
diff --git a/packages/cli/package.json b/packages/cli/package.json
index 796b58acd2e7..41c6d90bf095 100644
--- a/packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli/package.json
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
     "rimraf": "3.0.2",
     "secure-random-password": "0.2.3",
     "terminal-link": "2.1.1",
-    "yargs": "16.2.0"
+    "yargs": "17.3.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@babel/cli": "7.16.7",
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/index.js b/packages/cli/src/index.js
index cb9ce5ae2623..0a79312b4d63 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/index.js
@@ -1,31 +1,74 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env node
+/**
+ * This file is the CLI's main entry point.
+ * (This is specified in the package.json's `bin` property.)
+ *
+ * ```
+ * yarn rw # <-- you are here
+ * ```
+ *
+ * This file:
+ *
+ * 1) sets up up middleware
+ * 2) loads the rest of the CLI via this package's command-module structure.
+ *
+ * @see {@link https://github.com/yargs/yargs/blob/main/docs/advanced.md#providing-a-command-module}
+ *
+ * @remarks
+ *
+ * The yargs codebase can appear to be a bit complicated at first.
+ * If you ever have to dig into the source, know that most of the methods are defined here:
+ * {@link https://github.com/yargs/yargs/blob/3d2a6aa8c954a58589d7a199b2496bd894dcde25/lib/yargs-factory.ts}
+ */
 import fs from 'fs'
 import path from 'path'
 
 import { config } from 'dotenv-defaults'
-import yargs from 'yargs'
+import { hideBin } from 'yargs/helpers'
+/**
+ * This is the blessed way of doing things now, as opposed to:
+ *
+ * ```
+ * import yargs from 'yargs
+ * ```
+ *
+ * The above is the older, singleton API, which hasn't been deprecated but has been discouraged:
+ * {@link https://github.com/yargs/yargs/issues/2045#issuecomment-942442554}
+ */
+import yargs from 'yargs/yargs'
 
 import { getPaths, getConfigPath } from '@redwoodjs/internal'
 
 /**
- * The current working directory can be set via:
- * 1. A `--cwd` option
- * 2. The `RWJS_CWD` env-var
- * 3. Found by traversing directories upwards for the first `redwood.toml`
+ * Yargs middleware.
+ *
+ * Middleware functions get access to `argv`:
+ * {@link https://yargs.js.org/docs/#api-reference-middlewarecallbacks-applybeforevalidation}
+ *
+ * This middleware parses, validates, and sets current working directory in the following order:
+ *
+ * 1. the `--cwd` option
+ * 2. the `RWJS_CWD` env var
+ * 3. by traversing directories upwards for the first `redwood.toml`
  *
- * This middleware parses, validates, and sets current working directory
- * in the order above.
+ * This is mainly for contributors.
+ *
+ * @param {import('yargs').Argv} argv
  */
-const getCwdMiddleware = (argv) => {
+const setCwdMiddleware = (argv) => {
   let configPath
 
   try {
     let cwd
+
     if (argv.cwd) {
       cwd = argv.cwd
-      // We delete the argument because it's not actually referenced in CLI,
-      // we use the `RWJS_CWD` env-var,
-      // and it conflicts with "forwarding" commands such as test and prisma.
+
+      /**
+       * We delete `cwd` because it's not actually referenced in the CLI.
+       * We use the `RWJS_CWD` env var instead.
+       * That, and it conflicts with "forwarding" commands such as test and prisma.
+       */
       delete argv.cwd
     } else if (process.env.RWJS_CWD) {
       cwd = process.env.RWJS_CWD
@@ -34,6 +77,7 @@ const getCwdMiddleware = (argv) => {
     }
 
     configPath = path.resolve(process.cwd(), cwd, 'redwood.toml')
+
     if (!fs.existsSync(configPath)) {
       throw new Error('Could not find `redwood.toml` config file.')
     }
@@ -51,25 +95,75 @@ const getCwdMiddleware = (argv) => {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Loads the env vars in `.env` and `.env.defaults`.
+ *
+ * @remarks
+ *
+ * We should only do this if we're in a Redwood project,
+ * which is why this is a middleware function that comes after `setCwdMiddleware`.
+ */
 const loadDotEnvDefaultsMiddleware = () => {
+  const { base } = getPaths()
+
   config({
-    path: path.join(getPaths().base, '.env'),
-    defaults: path.join(getPaths().base, '.env.defaults'),
+    path: path.join(base, '.env'),
+    defaults: path.join(base, '.env.defaults'),
     encoding: 'utf8',
   })
 }
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line no-unused-expressions
-yargs
+/**
+ * `yargs` takes an array (which is what `process.argv` is),
+ * but yargs expects this array to only have the args that come after program name.
+ * So if the command run at the CLI is:
+ *
+ * ```
+ * yarn rw --help
+ * ```
+ *
+ * yargs expects `['--help']`, not `['rw', '--help']`.
+ *
+ * `hideBin` is a yargs helper-function that removes the program name from the array for us:
+ * {@link https://yargs.js.org/docs/#api-reference}
+ *
+ * @remarks
+ *
+ * Assigning the return of this to a variable
+ * because we should be able to run the cli "programmatically" this way:
+ * - {@link https://github.com/yargs/yargs/issues/1605}
+ * - {@link https://yargs.js.org/docs/#api-reference-parseargs-context-parsecallback}
+ */
+const parser = yargs(hideBin(process.argv))
   .scriptName('rw')
-  .middleware([getCwdMiddleware, loadDotEnvDefaultsMiddleware])
+  .middleware([setCwdMiddleware, loadDotEnvDefaultsMiddleware])
   .option('cwd', {
-    describe: 'Working directory to use (where `redwood.toml` is located.)',
+    demandOption: false,
+    description:
+      'Current working directory to use (i.e., where `redwood.toml` is located). Useful for development',
+    type: 'string',
   })
-  .commandDir('./commands')
   .example(
-    'yarn rw g page home /',
-    "\"Create a page component named 'Home' at path '/'\""
+    '$0 g page home /',
+    "Create a page component named 'Home' at path '/'"
   )
-  .demandCommand()
-  .strict().argv
+  .commandDir('./commands')
+  .demandCommand(1, '')
+  .recommendCommands()
+  .strict()
+
+/**
+ * `yargs` seems to be moving away from `argv`:
+ * {@link https://github.com/yargs/yargs/pull/2036}
+ *
+ * Note that calling `parse` with no args is equivalent to `argv`.
+ * - {@link https://yargs.js.org/docs/#api-reference}
+ * - {@link https://github.com/yargs/yargs/blob/3d2a6aa8c954a58589d7a199b2496bd894dcde25/lib/yargs-factory.ts#L72-L77}
+ *
+ * @remarks
+ *
+ * This should pretty much only ever be used here, at the top level, according to:
+ * {@link https://yargs.js.org/docs/#api-reference-argv}
+ */
+parser.parse()
diff --git a/packages/codemods/package.json b/packages/codemods/package.json
index 0d6f18cbae00..a9c9c57183c8 100644
--- a/packages/codemods/package.json
+++ b/packages/codemods/package.json
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
     "tasuku": "1.0.2",
     "toml": "3.0.0",
     "vscode-ripgrep": "1.13.2",
-    "yargs": "16.2.0"
+    "yargs": "17.3.1"
   },
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
diff --git a/packages/create-redwood-app/package.json b/packages/create-redwood-app/package.json
index e257db841f04..7b6d7bd5238c 100644
--- a/packages/create-redwood-app/package.json
+++ b/packages/create-redwood-app/package.json
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
     "fs-extra": "10.0.0",
     "listr": "0.14.3",
     "tmp": "0.2.1",
-    "yargs": "16.2.0"
+    "yargs": "17.3.1"
   },
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
diff --git a/packages/create-redwood-app/src/create-redwood-app.js b/packages/create-redwood-app/src/create-redwood-app.js
index f0161cbc55ec..b167b8cb32ea 100644
--- a/packages/create-redwood-app/src/create-redwood-app.js
+++ b/packages/create-redwood-app/src/create-redwood-app.js
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ import checkNodeVersion from 'check-node-version'
 import execa from 'execa'
 import fs from 'fs-extra'
 import Listr from 'listr'
-import yargs from 'yargs'
+import { hideBin } from 'yargs/helpers'
+import yargs from 'yargs/yargs'
 
 import { name, version } from '../package'
 
@@ -48,10 +49,16 @@ const {
   'yarn-install': yarnInstall,
   typescript,
   overwrite,
-} = yargs
+} = yargs(hideBin(process.argv))
   .scriptName(name)
-  .usage('Usage: $0 <project directory> [option]')
-  .example('$0 newapp')
+  .usage('Usage: yarn create redwood-app <project directory> [option]')
+  .example([
+    ['yarn create redwood-app my-app', 'Create a Redwood App in `./my-app`'],
+    [
+      'yarn create redwood-app my-ts-app --ts',
+      'Create a Redwood App in TypeScript',
+    ],
+  ])
   .option('yarn-install', {
     default: true,
     type: 'boolean',
@@ -70,9 +77,10 @@ const {
     describe: 'Create even if target directory is empty',
   })
   .version(version)
-  .strict().argv
+  .parse()
 
 const targetDir = String(args).replace(/,/g, '-')
+
 if (!targetDir) {
   console.error('Please specify the project directory')
   console.log(
diff --git a/tasks/run-e2e b/tasks/run-e2e
index abb73bb9c241..da14b8481f3b 100755
--- a/tasks/run-e2e
+++ b/tasks/run-e2e
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ const path = require('path')
 
 const execa = require('execa')
 const fs = require('fs-extra')
-const yargs = require('yargs')
+const { hideBin } = require('yargs/helpers')
+const yargs = require('yargs/yargs')
 
 // This script sets up a blank RedwoodJS app into a directory.
 // It uses the packages from the RedwoodJS framework (../packages).
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ const initGit = () => {
   })
 }
 
-const args = yargs
+const args = yargs(hideBin(process.argv))
   .option('create-project', { default: true, type: 'boolean', alias: 'create' })
   .option('build-framework', { default: true, type: 'boolean', alias: 'build' })
   .option('copy-framework', { default: true, type: 'boolean', alias: 'copy' })
@@ -198,7 +199,7 @@ const args = yargs
   .example('run-e2e')
   .example('run-e2e /tmp/redwood-app --ts')
   .help()
-  .strict().argv
+  .parse()
 
 const REDWOODJS_FRAMEWORK_PATH = path.resolve(__dirname, '..')
 let REDWOOD_PROJECT_DIRECTORY =
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 9e0c988b6108..a2d510b69559 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -5342,7 +5342,7 @@ __metadata:
     qs: 6.10.3
     split2: 4.1.0
     typescript: 4.5.4
-    yargs: 16.2.0
+    yargs: 17.3.1
   bin:
     rw-api-server: ./dist/index.js
     rw-api-server-watch: ./dist/watch.js
@@ -5442,7 +5442,7 @@ __metadata:
     secure-random-password: 0.2.3
     terminal-link: 2.1.1
     typescript: 4.5.4
-    yargs: 16.2.0
+    yargs: 17.3.1
   bin:
     redwood: ./dist/index.js
     rw: ./dist/index.js
@@ -5475,7 +5475,7 @@ __metadata:
     tempy: 1.0.1
     toml: 3.0.0
     vscode-ripgrep: 1.13.2
-    yargs: 16.2.0
+    yargs: 17.3.1
   bin:
     codemods: ./dist/codemods.js
   languageName: unknown
@@ -12170,7 +12170,7 @@ __metadata:
     listr: 0.14.3
     tmp: 0.2.1
     typescript: 4.5.4
-    yargs: 16.2.0
+    yargs: 17.3.1
   bin:
     create-redwood-app: ./dist/create-redwood-app.js
   languageName: unknown
@@ -30219,18 +30219,18 @@ resolve@^2.0.0-next.3:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
-"yargs@npm:16.2.0, yargs@npm:^16.1.1, yargs@npm:^16.2.0":
-  version: 16.2.0
-  resolution: "yargs@npm:16.2.0"
+"yargs@npm:17.3.1, yargs@npm:^17.0.0, yargs@npm:^17.3.0":
+  version: 17.3.1
+  resolution: "yargs@npm:17.3.1"
   dependencies:
     cliui: ^7.0.2
     escalade: ^3.1.1
     get-caller-file: ^2.0.5
     require-directory: ^2.1.1
-    string-width: ^4.2.0
+    string-width: ^4.2.3
     y18n: ^5.0.5
-    yargs-parser: ^20.2.2
-  checksum: b1dbfefa679848442454b60053a6c95d62f2d2e21dd28def92b647587f415969173c6e99a0f3bab4f1b67ee8283bf735ebe3544013f09491186ba9e8a9a2b651
+    yargs-parser: ^21.0.0
+  checksum: 2c5ff77132468093a1872b8a9798cdcc5da0bcf7a2b0660264ffa91766324b0926c3346e091d249dc3a86caf7e8e623aa0f8de660c9baf440188d4da7d4378c4
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
@@ -30253,18 +30253,18 @@ resolve@^2.0.0-next.3:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
-"yargs@npm:^17.0.0, yargs@npm:^17.3.0":
-  version: 17.3.1
-  resolution: "yargs@npm:17.3.1"
+"yargs@npm:^16.1.1, yargs@npm:^16.2.0":
+  version: 16.2.0
+  resolution: "yargs@npm:16.2.0"
   dependencies:
     cliui: ^7.0.2
     escalade: ^3.1.1
     get-caller-file: ^2.0.5
     require-directory: ^2.1.1
-    string-width: ^4.2.3
+    string-width: ^4.2.0
     y18n: ^5.0.5
-    yargs-parser: ^21.0.0
-  checksum: 2c5ff77132468093a1872b8a9798cdcc5da0bcf7a2b0660264ffa91766324b0926c3346e091d249dc3a86caf7e8e623aa0f8de660c9baf440188d4da7d4378c4
+    yargs-parser: ^20.2.2
+  checksum: b1dbfefa679848442454b60053a6c95d62f2d2e21dd28def92b647587f415969173c6e99a0f3bab4f1b67ee8283bf735ebe3544013f09491186ba9e8a9a2b651
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard