wrung 1 of 2

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
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 Most revealing scene At the Bills-Bears joint practice Friday, veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White wrung what seemed like 8 ounces of sweat from each of his socks, while rookie Max Hairston looked on in a combination of amazement and semi-horror. Tim Graham, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025 Although there are yet more costs to be wrung out of silicon MEMS manufacturing, the potential savings is ultimately limited by the cost of the silicon itself. IEEE Spectrum, 27 Nov. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wrung
Adjective
  • The parched air, the strange sounds, the relentless wind rocking the trailer like a mechanical bull.
    Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
  • These rocks are well exposed in the parched badlands of Wyoming, crisscrossed for more than a century by dinosaur hunters.
    Paul C. Sereno, The Conversation, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Another passenger squeezed her way up the aisle to try to make a tight connection.
    Nathan Diller, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
  • De’Von Achane took the handoff, squeezed through the hole, blasted past a diving defender at midfield and outraced the rest of the Bills’ defense to the end zone.
    Steve Gorten, Miami Herald, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Tim Stützle’s goal, his second of the day, earned Ottawa the extra point in the standings.
    Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Binder earned a master’s degree in criminal justice from Arizona State University in 2017 and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from San Jose State University in 2002.
    Ryan Macasero, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • For years, fashion companies like Ralph Lauren pulled their products from Macy’s stores to sell more of their products direct to consumers online and at their own stores.
    Phil Wahba, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Curran then grabbed Trantalis’ leg and pulled him to the ground, then reportedly dragged him 15 feet across the road.
    Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Malkin pried a few gory details out about the storylines out of LaNasa.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
  • In the lab, the team pried the soldiers’ teeth open.
    Andrea Tamayo, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Her sister’s sere hair went among the grasses; her head was full of the Child.
    Patricia Lockwood, New Yorker, 18 May 2025
  • Playwright-screenwriter Alice Birch has composed a superheated adaptation that’s anything but sere.
    Peter Marks, Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2023
Verb
  • By the following year, the FBI had recovered millions of dollars extorted from Colonial Pipeline by Darkside.
    Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
  • This man just could not stop getting extorted, which is not ideal for anyone but is especially unpleasant for the head of MI5.
    Brian Grubb, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • An invitation from Wolfpack quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper to sit in on film sessions and game-planning meetings tugged McCall out of a potentially debilitating spiral.
    Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • If a toy was tugged, it was considered a Pull type, and if it was retrieved when thrown, it was considered a Fetch type.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wrung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrung. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.

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