wring

verb

ˈriŋ How to pronounce wring (audio)
Definition of wringnext
1
as in to extort
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 to earn
to get with great difficulty after years of trying to wring a decent profit out of the business, he is finally giving up

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3
as in to pull
to move by or as if by a forceful rotation I'm so mad I could wring your neck

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4
as in to pry
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 wring In the standard story, the United States, Britain, and France stood by, wringing their hands and straining for appeasement while the Japanese stampeded through Asia and Nazi Storm Troopers ran roughshod over Europe. — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 Rinse the cloth well with clean water, wring it out, and wipe the surface using gentle but firm pressure to remove greasy film. — Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2026 Bass wrings both roteness and refinement out of examining the road to the altar. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026 Mountains force air to rush upwards, wringing out more moisture that falls as torrential rain. — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wring
  1. extort
  2. earn
  3. pull
  4. extract
  5. squeeze
  6. obtain
  7. pluck
  8. yank
Verb
  • Among the new rackets were providing cheap workers to new industries, ruling the docks of large port cities, extorting money from trading companies, and working for political parties to intimidate rival voters.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Hill alleged school board members tried to extort her into resigning in a memo sent to the board ahead of her firing.
    — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of extort
Verb
  • The New York Red Bulls took advantage of an early own goal, added an Emil Forsberg score in second-half stoppage time and capitalized on a limited appearance by Lionel Messi to earn a crucial 2-0 victory over Inter Miami on Saturday.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Prior to working in Hollywood, Atchity served as an assistant professor of English and comparative literature at Occidental College before earning tenure and becoming a full-time professor.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of earn
Verb
  • Sellers who have the option to pull their listing off the market are generally doing so.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Many voters thank him ​for pulling Serbia from economic obscurity and orchestrating a period of sustained modernisation including new highways, railways, schools and hospitals.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of pull
Verb
  • Key Takeaways These artificial channels are up to five times more selective for lithium, offering a simpler way to extract the critical battery material.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
  • In lieu of sweet tea, a commercial sugar cane juicer extracts yellow-green juice.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of extract
Verb
  • For hungry Southerners trying to squeeze a meal into their lunch breaks, that’s a major blunder.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Push through the soles of your feet and squeeze your glutes to drive your hips upward.
    — Jenessa Connor, HEALTH, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • In an interview with Vogue at Cannes, Hoyeon described spending six months preparing for the action sequences, including firearms training, obtaining a stick-shift driving license, and learning stunt-driving techniques.
    — Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands became sovereign countries, obtaining membership in the United Nations in September 1991.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of obtain
Verb
  • The Royals plucked manager Matt Quatraro from the Rays organization in 2022.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Orioles plucked Jared Banner from the Cubs to be their new general manager under Mike Elias.
    — Josh Tolentino, Baltimore Sun, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • With the wheels threatening to come off, Rays manager Kevin Cash yanked Seymour and put in Kevin Kelly.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Ignoring that rule could get flood insurance coverage yanked for an entire community.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of yank

Browse Nearby Words

wrights
wring
wringing
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Cite this Entry

“Wring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wring. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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