wring

Plural: wrings

Noun

a twisting squeeze
- "gave the wet cloth a wring"
A powerful squeezing or twisting action.
Followed by down: the product of wringing, such as cider or wine.
A sharp physical pain, especially in the abdomen; also, mental pain or distress.
A device for compressing or pressing, especially for making cheese, cider from apples, or wine from grapes.

Verb

Verb Forms: wrung, wringed, wringing, wrings

To twist and squeeze forcibly, often to extract liquid.
twist and press out of shape
twist and compress, as if in pain or anguish
- "Wring one's hand"
obtain by coercion or intimidation
twist, squeeze, or compress in order to extract liquid
- "wring the towels"
Often followed by out: to squeeze or twist (something moist) tightly so that liquid is forced out.
Often followed by out: to squeeze or twist (something moist) tightly so that liquid is forced out.
To squeeze water from (an item of wet clothing) by passing through a wringer.
Often followed by from or out: to extract (a liquid) from something wet by squeezing, twisting, or otherwise putting pressure on it.
To hold (someone or something) tightly and press or twist; to wrest.
To hold (someone or something) tightly and press or twist; to wrest.
To clasp and twist (hands) together due to distress, sorrow, etc.
To bend or strain (something) out of its position; to wrench, to wrest.
To contort or screw up (the face or its features).
To twist or wind (something) into coils; to coil.
Of a thing (such as footwear): to pinch or press (a person or part of their body), causing pain.
To cause (someone or something) physical harm, injury, or pain; specifically, by applying pressure or by twisting; to harm, to hurt, to injure.
To cause (tears) to come out from a person or their eyes.
To cause distress or pain to (a person or their heart, soul, etc.); to distress, to torment.
To obtain (something) from or out of a person or thing by extortion or other force.
To use effort to draw (a response, words, etc.) from or out of someone; to generate (something) as a response.
To afflict or oppress (someone) to enforce compliance; to extort.
To cause (someone) to do something or to think a certain way.
To change (something) into another thing.
To give (teachings, words, etc.) an incorrect meaning; to twist, to wrest.
To put (oneself) in a position by cunning or subtle means; to insinuate.
To slide (two ultraflat surfaces) together such that their faces bond.
To be engaged in clasping and twisting (especially the hands), or exerting pressure.
To twist the body in or as if in pain; to writhe.
To contend, to struggle; also, to strive, to toil.
To experience distress, pain, punishment, etc.
Of a lode: to be depleted of ore; to peter or peter out.
To make a way out with difficulty.

Examples

He tried to wring a bingo out of his difficult letter tiles, but it was no use.
I didn’t have a towel so I just wrung my hair dry.
I grasped his hand and gave it a grateful wring.
Put the berries into a cheesecloth and wring the juice into a bowl.
The police said they would wring the truth out of that criminal.
to wring a mast
to wring one’s hands with worry
to wring someone’s hand (that is, shake hands vigorously with someone)
to wring the neck of a chicken

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English wringen, wryngen from Old English wringan (“to wring”), from Proto-Germanic *wringaną (“to squeeze, twist, wring”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *wrenǵʰ-.
Cognates
* Ancient Greek ῥίμφα (rhímpha, “fast”)
* Dutch wringen
* Lithuanian reñgtis (“to bend down”)
* Middle Low German wringen (Low German wringen)
* Old Frisian *wringa (West Frisian wringe)
* Old High German rinkan, ringan, ringan (Middle High German ringen, modern German wringen, German ringen (“to wrestle”))

Synonyms

contort, deform, distort, extort, gouge, rack, squeeze, wrench, abuse, ache, afflict, aggrieve, agonize, anguish, annoy, astringe, atray, bewound, cag, compact, compactify, condense, damage, damnify, densitize, dere, distress, do damage to, do for, do ill, do violence to, elicit, engrieve, excruciate, forwork, grame, grieve, harass, harm, harrow, harry, hurt, injure, irritate, mash, maul, misdo, pack, pain, pang, passion, pervert, pine, plague, press, provoke, put someone in hospital, rend, scaith, scathe, scrunch, smush, squash, squish, squoosh, strangle, suffer, thole, thring, throe, throttle, thrutch, torment, torture, trouble, vex, vulnerate, wark, wet, wound, wring, wring out

Scrabble Score: 9

wring: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
wring: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
wring: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 11

wring: valid Words With Friends Word