through the wringer
idiom
informal
: through a series of very difficult or unpleasant experiences
Those poor people have really gone/been through the wringer lately.
They were put through the wringer by the adoption agency.
Examples of through the wringer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This aluminum and stainless steel kit arrived at my doorstep just in time for a few summertime events, with one busy bartending day in particular that really put it through the wringer.
—
T.j. Fink, Outside, 29 Dec. 2025
And, oh, does director and co-screenwriter Josh Safdie put Chalamet and audiences through the wringer.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025
This one ratchets up the paranoia even more than usual, putting Ron through the wringer once again with a series of bizarre and possibly related inconveniences.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
That hasn't stopped the administration from putting US tech through the wringer at home, though.
—Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for through the wringer
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T.j. Fink, Outside, 29 Dec. 2025
And, oh, does director and co-screenwriter Josh Safdie put Chalamet and audiences through the wringer.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025
This one ratchets up the paranoia even more than usual, putting Ron through the wringer once again with a series of bizarre and possibly related inconveniences.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
That hasn't stopped the administration from putting US tech through the wringer at home, though.
—Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for through the wringer
Cite this Entry
“Through the wringer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/through%20the%20wringer. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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