wring

verb

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\ ˈriŋ

wrung\ ˈrəŋ

\; wringing\ ˈriŋ-iŋ

Definition of wring

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

3a : 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

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Synonyms for wring

Synonyms

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 on the Web Transfer the ball to a kitchen towel, and wring it out until the greens are almost completely dry. Transfer the greens to a blender and add the yogurt, turmeric, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the cardamom and puree until smooth. — Washington Post, 13 June 2021 For more stubborn messes and spills, dip a cloth into some pH-neutral soap and warm water, wring out any excess liquid, and wipe the spot clean. — Adrienne Jordan, House Beautiful, 19 May 2021 Inside the Trump re-election headquarters in Northern Virginia, the pressure was building to wring ever more money out of his supporters. — New York Times, 3 Apr. 2021 Inside the Trump reelection headquarters in Northern Virginia, the pressure was building to wring ever more money out of his supporters. — Shane Goldmacher New York Times, Star Tribune, 3 Apr. 2021 Democrats are using the threat of going it alone to try to wring more concessions from Republicans in infrastructure talks this week. — Justin Sink, Fortune, 28 May 2021 Here was a man who never embraced darkness but who determined to live, and wring every last drop out of life. — Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 19 May 2021 For decades, chipmakers have been focused on shrinking the size of components to wring more performance out of chips. — Will Knight, Wired, 6 May 2021 Despite that increase, there’s bad news for those poor souls who wring their hands and gnash their teeth over trade deficits. — Ken Roberts, Forbes, 4 May 2021

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.