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 Hydrating Body Bar Massage was another standout, which used the Kate McLeod Body Stone—a solid moisturizer—to soothe and rehydrate my parched winter skin.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Winter is just days away, and our chronically parched hands are already taking a big hit from these dry, frigid temps.
    Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 19 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • As the continents sheared and twisted unevenly, local forces squeezed together thin ribbons of crust and popped them up like geological meerkats, isolating and slicing them off.
    Evan Howell, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Walmart had become the poster child of the big bad corporation that underpaid its workers, squeezed its suppliers and tore at the fabric of small-town America.
    Evan Clark, Footwear News, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Terrance Gore, a baseball player whose remarkable speed earned him spots on three championship teams, including the 2020 Dodgers, died Friday, the Kansas City Royals announced on social media.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Hegseth earned a master's degree from Harvard but symbolically returned his diploma in a 2022 Fox News segment.
    JOCELYN GECKER, Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • At one point, the individual appears to tilt their head away from a doorbell camera, hold a flashlight in their mouth and attempt to cover the lens with a gloved hand and what looked like part of a plant pulled from the yard.
    Bradford Betz , Matt Finn, FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Wills pulled together a men’s fashion show with local and national celebrities, followed by dinner, dancing and a movie.
    Mark Woolsey, AJC.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Edge rushers Trey White and Ryan Henderson, linebacker Owen Chambliss and safety Dwayne McDougle were pried away by Power Four programs, but SDSU coach Sean Lewis was pleased that the Aztecs were able to hold onto much of the talent while adding to it through the NCAA transfer portal.
    Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
  • The officers and two bystanders pried open the truck’s door and pulled the driver to safety, the agency said.
    Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 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
  • However, the company declined to answer follow-up questions about when the breach occurred, whether customer data was involved or if it is actively being extorted.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
  • In his defense, Barnett took the stand to say there was no murder plot and that Thomas extorted him for the money using physical violence – knocking out his teeth, injured his left shoulder, and smacking his private parts.
    Sydney Pereira, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • After a few demonstrations, Destiny tugged the cord the way Carol showed us, and the bike roared to life.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 4 Feb. 2026
  • The silicone prosthetics were incredibly thin, which meant that putting a ring through them could rip them if they were accidentally tugged or pulled too hard.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 3 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wrung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrung. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

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