wrung 1 of 2

Definition of wrungnext

wrung

2 of 2

verb

past tense of wring
1
as in squeezed
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

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2
as in earned
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
4
as in pried
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wrung
Verb
Decades of warming have wrung many parts of the US dry. Mark Gongloff, Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2026 Cover the area with a kitchen towel that has been soaked in hot water and then wrung out. Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026 Most of the excess labor cost was wrung out during the depths of the rolling recession, aligning wage expenses with profitability and setting up businesses to benefit disproportionately from any top-line improvement. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025 Brain wrung like a sponge every rinse cycle. Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 The truth is, even the words wrung from the damp cloth can be trustworthy, too. Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025 The more there is, the more that can be wrung out by storms. Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025 Others wrung riches from the network; Berners-Lee assumed the mantle of moral authority, fighting to safeguard the web’s openness and promote equitable access. Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025 But after logging three and half miles through Miami one sweltering evening this week, members wrung out sweaty shirts, chugged ice water and welcomed a soaking rain shower at the finish line. Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrung
Adjective
  • Forecasters said the parched conditions will continue through the spring.
    Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2026
  • In Worcester, which lay more than 40 miles from the Charlestown line, a parched and dusty rider arrived at the square in front of the church, where his horse collapsed in exhaustion.
    Kostya Kennedy, Time, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Small businesses and farmers got squeezed.
    Justin Papp, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Vendors built on per-seat licensing and static tools are seeing their economics squeezed as AI systems compress development timelines and reduce maintenance overhead.
    David Stout, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Ferree — a 19-year-old product of the United Soccer League’s now-defunct San Diego Loyal SC program — earned the start with Pablo Sisniega serving a one-game suspension and CJ dos Santos still recovering from a broken cheekbone sustained last July.
    Kyle Kensing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026
  • The poll’s methods were misleading but earned countless headlines nonetheless.
    David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • So far, six have been pulled to safety.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Sakamoto plans to retire after the Olympics, but will leave the sport in good hands with her teammate and new talent Nakai, who landed a triple axel that pulled her into first.
    Alice Park, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Brooks’ legacy lives on though, but for the players themselves, there remains an indelible bond that can never be pried apart.
    Patrick Snell, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026
  • Guidry then went up to Duke and pried a plastic twist tie from his jaws.
    Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Klinger recommends to steam it before marinating to reduce bitterness, and then grill, pan-sear, or crumble it into recipes.
    Jillian Kubala, Health, 12 Dec. 2025
  • Her sister’s sere hair went among the grasses; her head was full of the Child.
    Patricia Lockwood, New Yorker, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • Nicole Curtis, the former HGTV star whose Rehab Addict show was canceled after a video surfaced of her using a racial slur, is now claiming she was being extorted.
    Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Dearing’s refusal to be extorted out of his home was nearly met with destructive violence.
    Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • And when Sky and Virginia were playing in a backyard sandpit one day, her little brother tugged on her T-shirt, pointing toward a snake.
    Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
  • Yelkur ranked Google’s Gemini commercial about imagining a new home as one of the most emotionally appealing, likeable ads that tugged at the heartstrings.
    Lorena O’Neil, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wrung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrung. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.

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