as in twisting
a forceful rotating or pulling motion for the purpose of dislodging something
a firm wringing of the shoe got it off
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in squeezing
to get (as money) by the use of force or threats
that bill collector is willing to do anything to wring money out of deadbeats
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in earning
to get with great difficulty
after years of trying to wring a decent profit out of the business, he is finally giving up
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in pulling
to move by or as if by a forceful rotation
I'm so mad I could wring your neck
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in prying
to draw out by force or with effort
willing to use torture if necessary in order to wring the information out of the terrorist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wringing
Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 14 Jan. 2026
That was a lot of that hand wringing in 2024.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
There was a lot of gnashing of teeth, wringing of hands.
—Alison Weinflash, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Most of the celebration and hand wringing over Moore’s law focuses on the ever-shrinking silicon transistor.
—IEEE Spectrum, 6 Jan. 2017
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 8 Jan. 2026
As the complaining businesses are no doubt wringing their hands over the setback, shoppers are also bemoaning the havoc that tariffs have wreaked on their pocketbooks as the final week of holiday shopping ramps up.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 16 Dec. 2025
Cal fans are wringing their hands in fear that Sagapolutele, one of the nation’s most promising young quarterbacks, could transfer in reaction to the coaching change.
—Jeff Faraudo, Mercury News, 26 Nov. 2025
With everyone following Neal’s lead, Lindsay realized that other than her and Doherty, no one was interested in wringing much out of Amazon.
—Sean Patrick Cooper, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic’s steep terrain will force air upward, wringing out more moisture from the storm, just like squeezing a wet sponge, turning tropical humidity into torrents racing downhill.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
For the past several years, writers and pundits have been wringing their hands over how few men are supposedly writing and reading fiction today.
—Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
Whatever minor hand-wringing the opening of the 113-room hotel may have caused, it’s been widely embraced in the few years since opening.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 4 Sep. 2025
They’re all designed to grab your attention by sounding the alarm, then close with a hand-wringing quote from someone who probably missed the last bull run.
—Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
Swish the fur through the water for no more than 10–15 minutes, avoiding excessive agitation and wringing.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 14 Jan. 2026
That was a lot of that hand wringing in 2024.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
There was a lot of gnashing of teeth, wringing of hands.
—Alison Weinflash, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
Most of the celebration and hand wringing over Moore’s law focuses on the ever-shrinking silicon transistor.
—IEEE Spectrum, 6 Jan. 2017
Verb
Squeeze out excess water without wringing the scarf.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 8 Jan. 2026
As the complaining businesses are no doubt wringing their hands over the setback, shoppers are also bemoaning the havoc that tariffs have wreaked on their pocketbooks as the final week of holiday shopping ramps up.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 16 Dec. 2025
Cal fans are wringing their hands in fear that Sagapolutele, one of the nation’s most promising young quarterbacks, could transfer in reaction to the coaching change.
—Jeff Faraudo, Mercury News, 26 Nov. 2025
With everyone following Neal’s lead, Lindsay realized that other than her and Doherty, no one was interested in wringing much out of Amazon.
—Sean Patrick Cooper, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic’s steep terrain will force air upward, wringing out more moisture from the storm, just like squeezing a wet sponge, turning tropical humidity into torrents racing downhill.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
For the past several years, writers and pundits have been wringing their hands over how few men are supposedly writing and reading fiction today.
—Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
Whatever minor hand-wringing the opening of the 113-room hotel may have caused, it’s been widely embraced in the few years since opening.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 4 Sep. 2025
They’re all designed to grab your attention by sounding the alarm, then close with a hand-wringing quote from someone who probably missed the last bull run.
—Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wringing
Verb
-
Fresh spinach requires large quantities and multiple steps—blanching, shocking, and squeezing—just to yield a usable amount.—
Amber Love Bond,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The bus ended up completely packed, everyone squeezing together in their parkas like a bunch of marshmallows.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Cannon-Grant was well-known in activist circles in Boston, earning numerous awards, including Boston Globe Magazine’s Bostonian of the Year award and a Boston Celtics Heroes Among Us award, both in 2020 amid nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Only seven units are market rate while the remainder are reserved for residents earning 30%, 50% and 60% of the area median income.—
Nick Wooten,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
At a union hall in San Diego last November, Gavin Newsom—the tall, coiffed governor of California, and, since last year, one of the Democrats’ best hopes for pulling together a shattered country—stood to one side in white shirtsleeves and waited for his turn to address the crowd.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Wagner wasn’t as fortunate with his 7-iron shot, pulling it left into the rough (and scuffing the bottom of his club).—
Jay Posner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And rather than Christians leavening the secular right-wing movements, those movements are prying Christianity further and further away from the ethic and teachings of Jesus.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Given the material of choice, this pick could also serve as a multi-tool of sorts as well, with examples on the campaign page including prying open a tricky soda can or a quick screw tightening.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Its twists are as shocking as those in a conventional thriller, and Cretton is a master of selling emotions and entire character arcs with a single shot.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
-
But a huge twist reveals that Kilmartin’s cousin Michael Stirling—who becomes a love interest for Francesca in the later novels—has been gender-swapped to Michaela.—
Sophie Hanson,
StyleCaster,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Bandit gangs control entire districts, extorting protection money from communities in cash or kind, killing those that resist.—
Obi Anyadike,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Instead of extorting money to decrypt data in a company’s own system, an attacker can just threaten to release sensitive data if the ransom isn’t paid.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Trump did not take kindly to those remarks, responding with threats in Davos before yanking the Board of Peace invitation.—
Steven Sloan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Discouraged home sellers are yanking the for-sale signs out of their front yards.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Strip off the hard outer skin and chew the woody pith, extracting its sweetness before spitting it out.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Clough had a knack of reviving the fortunes of waifs and strays; of extracting every ounce of talent from players.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wringing. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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