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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • The Bradenton Police Department shared adorable video that showed a parched manatee taking a break and quenching its thirst with some fresh water that was coming off a police boat.
    Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
  • In parched southern Texas, a yearslong drought has depleted Corpus Christi's water reserves so gravely that the city is scrambling to prevent a shortage that could force painful cutbacks for residents and hobble the refineries and petrochemical plants in a major energy port.
    ABC News, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Sudhir Srivastava, vice president of the Noida Entrepreneurs Association, said manufacturers were being squeezed from multiple directions.
    Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Bottom line Private credit’s share of overall financing in the US economy has grown, and when that growth slows or stops, small businesses with few other options get squeezed.
    Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Bednar tallied his second loss of the season after allowing three hits, two runs (one earned) and a walk in the bottom of that frame.
    Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2026
  • Colfer earned praise and a Golden Globe award for his sensitive portrayal of Kurt's journey, which included several timely bullying storylines.
    James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Weathers was charged an additional run after issuing a leadoff walk in the sixth and getting pulled from the game.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
  • The picture represented every second of invisible labor that pulled me away from the little people who mattered most to me, all the work that stole my ability to be present in those moments and remember them, too.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Kemp says everything was ransacked, doors were broken, drawers and cupboards pried open, and empty cash boxes were on display.
    Alysia Burgio, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Colbert also pried about the pair’s friendship with the author George Saunders, asking for an invite the next time the three hang out.
    Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 14 Apr. 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
  • Baldoni, 42, last year countersued, bringing claims against Lively and her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, alleging he’d been defamed and extorted and demanding an enormous $400 million in damages.
    Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 7 Apr. 2026
  • In schemes orchestrated with Iza, Coberg arranged a fake drug arrest and stood guard while a victim was extorted.
    Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Sure, the sequence largely swipes away hints given prior that Bowser was an absent father, but in a film where most of the characters veer toward the blandly nice, watching a dad and his son bond over their same sociopathic tendencies was the only moment that tugged at the heartstrings.
    Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Smoldering at the camera, the star—who’s currently dating Scooter Braun—tugged down the straps of the plum-chocolate bra and covered her chest with her hands.
    Lara Walsh, InStyle, 7 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wrung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrung. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.

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