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View synonyms for wring

wring

[ ring ]

verb (used with object)

, wrung, wring·ing.
  1. to twist forcibly:

    He wrung the chicken's neck.

  2. to twist and compress, or compress without twisting, in order to force out water or other liquid (often followed by out ):

    to wring clothes.

  3. to extract or expel by twisting or compression (usually followed by out or from ).
  4. to affect painfully by or as if by some contorting or compressing action.
  5. to clasp tightly with or without twisting:

    to wring one's hands in pain.

  6. to force (usually followed by off ) by twisting.
  7. to extract or get by forceful effort or means (often followed by out ).


verb (used without object)

, wrung, wring·ing.
  1. to perform the action of wringing something.
  2. to writhe, as in anguish.

noun

  1. a wringing; forcible twist or squeeze.

wring

/ rɪŋ /

verb

  1. often foll by out to twist and compress to squeeze (a liquid) from (cloth, etc)
  2. tr to twist forcibly

    wring its neck

  3. tr to clasp and twist (one's hands), esp in anguish
  4. tr to distress

    wring one's heart

  5. tr to grip (someone's hand) vigorously in greeting
  6. tr to obtain by or as if by forceful means

    wring information out of

  7. intr to writhe with or as if with pain
  8. wringing wet
    soaking; drenched
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


noun

  1. an act or the process of wringing
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Words From

  • outwring verb (used with object) outwrung outwringing
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Word History and Origins

Origin of wring1

before 900; Middle English wringen, Old English wringan; cognate with German ringen to wrestle
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Word History and Origins

Origin of wring1

Old English wringan; related to Old High German ringan (German wringen ), Gothic wrungō snare. See wrangle , wrong
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Example Sentences

Some things never change as we wring out the old year and ring in the new one.

To wring all that can be wrung from metaphor, note what our elected and appointed officials are not dressed as.

It would wring our gizzards intolerably to see so much good stuff going to waste.

This makes what Obama and John Kerry manage to wring out of the Russians in the next two days absolutely crucial.

It could find other ways to wring costs of its operations, like using less packaging or electricity.

It was difficult, with the mean appliances of the time, to wring subsistence from the reluctant earth.

They like things on a small scale and know how to wring a dollar out of every five-cent piece.

Rinse it through a clean, lukewarm water; wring it lengthways, and stretch it well.

If the latter, of course the owner could wring the cocks neck and the incident would be closed.

But unless he loses his voice before long I shall have to wring his neck—no easy job—or do without my usual amount of sleep.

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