wring

play

verb \ ˈriŋ \

Definition of wring

wrung play \ˈrəŋ\; wringing play \ˈriŋ-iŋ\

transitive verb

1 :to squeeze or twist especially so as to make dry or to extract moisture or liquid

wring a towel dry

2 :to extract or obtain by or as if by twisting and compressing

wring water from a towel

wring a confession from the suspect

3 a :to twist so as to strain or sprain into a distorted shape

I could wring your neck

b :to twist together (clasped hands) as a sign of anguish

4 :to affect painfully as if by wringing :torment

a tragedy that wrings the heart

intransitive verb

:squirm, writhe

—

wring

noun

See wring defined for English-language learners

See wring defined for kids

Examples of wring in a Sentence

I wrung the towel and hung it up to dry.
I wrung my hair and wrapped it in a towel.

Recent Examples of wring from the Web

Instead, Jo recommends dampening a brush with one spritz of water, then wringing the brush hairs out with your fingers.

— tina ferraro, Teen Vogue, "Why Paris Jackson Played Up Her Eyes at the VMAs 2017," 28 Aug. 2017
But frictions have emerged at Tim Hortons with franchisees, who say efforts to wring money out of them are hurting the chain’s image and forcing operators to reduce spending on community programs such as youth hockey.

— bryan gruley, Bloomberg.com, "Why the Hatchet Men of 3G Spent $10 Million on a Better Oscar Mayer Weiner," 2 Aug. 2017
Charles Darwin himself wrung his hands over how flowering plants exploded in diversity early in their evolution.

— patrick monahan, Science | AAAS, "The world’s first flower may have looked like this," 1 Aug. 2017
Obama’s critics complained endlessly about the slow pace of legislation and the endless compromises wrung by interest groups and recalcitrant moderates.

— jonathan chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Obama’s Legacy Is Finally Coming Into Focus, Thanks to Trump," 1 Aug. 2017
To pay for these cost increases and to finance its ongoing budget deficits, the district continues to use debt practices that Mayor Rahm Emanuel has pledged to wring out of the city's budget.

— juan perez jr., chicagotribune.com, "CPS buys short-term relief with bonds that will carry costs for decades," 31 July 2017
The mother of the bride doesn’t know that the wedding is all a big joke and a charade and a futile attempt to wring meaning from banality.

— rosa lyster, The Cut, "Why Weddings in Books Are Always Terrible," 20 July 2017
Prayer, thus, wrung out of us by our deepest needs, has been turned into something yet more profound.

— david roper, idahostatesman, "God answers prayer, but simply praying has benefits, too," 14 July 2017
Prior to this controversy, my review was focused on how most of the series’ political messaging about the environment, animal rights and race was wrung out of War for Planet of the Apes.

— jason johnson, The Root, "War for the Planet of the Apes," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wring.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of wring

Middle English, from Old English wringan; akin to Old High German ringan to struggle, Lithuanian rengtis to bend down, Old English wyrgan to strangle — more at worry

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

wring Synonyms

Synonyms

exact, wrest, extort

Related Words

bleed, fleece, gouge, milk, skin, squeeze; cheat, gyp, racketeer, swindle; coerce, compel, force

Near Antonyms

implant, insert, install, instill; cram, jam, ram, stuff, wedge

WRING Defined for English Language Learners

wring

play

verb

Definition of wring for English Language Learners

: to twist and squeeze (wet cloth, hair, etc.) to remove water
: to get (something) out of someone or something with a lot of effort
: to twist and break (an animal's neck) in order to kill the animal

WRING Defined for Kids

wring

play

verb \ ˈriŋ \

Definition of wring for Students

wrung \ˈrəŋ\; wringing

1 :to twist or press so as to squeeze out moisture

Wring out your bathing suit.

2 :to get by or as if by twisting or pressing

Police wrung a confession from the criminal.

3 :to twist with a forceful or violent motion

He wrung the chicken's neck.

4 :to affect as if by wringing

The bad news wrung our hearts.

5 :to twist (hands) together as a sign of anguish

Learn More about wring

See words that rhyme with wring Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for wring Spanish Central: Translation of wring Nglish: Translation of wring for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of wring for Arabic speakers

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