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

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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
  • The fluctuations hint at an episodic, external source—potentially eruptions from a sort of super-Io satellite being tidally squeezed by its hefty planetary host.
    Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Small businesses, squeezed by the tariffs, may be forced to absorb the loss.
    Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Hospital recognized for stroke care Baptist Health-Fort Smith has earned a Pearl award (85%-89% adherence) for Stroke Band Documentation by the Arkansas Department of Health for its commitment to high-quality stroke care.
    Mark Mondier, Arkansas Online, 1 Mar. 2026
  • The sheikh had studied religious law at Damascus University and earned a master’s degree in Lebanon; the Tunisian had not completed a day’s worth of religious study in his life, relying instead on YouTube videos and stray sermons.
    Anand Gopal, New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • He was pulled from the game with one out in his second inning after throwing 36 pitches, just 17 strikes.
    Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 26 Feb. 2026
  • The Bears trailed 1-0 in the final minute of regulation, but Rian Marquardt tied the contest with 56 ticks remaining after White Bear Lake pulled its goalie.
    Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • These pieces were often physically damaged, having been pried off temple walls or other structures by looters.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
  • 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
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
  • Gonzales has denied the affair in the past, and has claimed he is being extorted.
    Fin Daniel Gómez, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • From life’s first moments, multiplying cells are squished, stretched, and tugged to form tissues that bend and twist into organs that expand and contract.
    Clare Watson, Quanta Magazine, 27 Feb. 2026
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Wrung.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wrung. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.

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