WRING Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

wring

verb

ˈriŋ

Definition of wring

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to pull

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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 wring With the 2024 election firmly in the rearview, the feverish hunt to weaponize the manosphere for political gain has largely subsided—what more could be wrung from the Tates at this stage? — Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026 Do not not rub, wring out, or twist your linen excessively when removing it from the water, warns Apter. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 27 July 2026 Unfortunately, the underwhelming revelations don’t elicit the tears Kore-eda regularly wrings. — Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026 Democrats, neurotic from decades of defeat, are wringing their hands as usual, saying Jolly is too stiff on stage, too wonkish, not funny enough. — Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for wring

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wring

Verb

The 99-year lease requires the USTA to share revenue with the city and pay for its own infrastructure, an unheard of arrangement today, when sports franchises routinely extort the government for subsidies and tax breaks.

— Ben Ryder Howe, Curbed, 21 Aug. 2026
In his report, Prescott said there is evidence substantiating the claim that Rodriguez-Mendez was extorting Guaranda.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of extort

Verb

Some soldiers distinguished themselves by helping to render emergency trauma response and first aid to civilians, earning individual service commendations, according to the Arkansas National Guard.

— Neal Earley, Arkansas Online, 29 Aug. 2026
On Monday, those five writers — also DSA-LA members — panned the idea of an endorsement, saying Raman hasn’t earned it.

— Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of earn

Verb

Pratt fouled off Thornton’s first pitch and then pulled back his bat on the second one, a fastball right down the middle.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
Washington has turned to pulling economic levers six months into a war on Iran that has ground to a stalemate militarily, with peace talks stalled and most traffic through the crucial Strait of Hormuz blocked.

— Tucker Reals, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of pull

Verb

Early in this year’s war, the United States and Israel considered launching ground operations to extract nuclear material but never initiated them, judging them to be highly risky and unlikely to affect the regime’s decision-making.

— Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
With the clock racing down to find Joe before she's extracted out of the country to her death, the team launches an assault against an airport hangar.

— David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of extract

Verb

These portable, lightweight bands squeeze easily into a suitcase and can be used to add resistance to body weight exercises.

— Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 26 Aug. 2026
Job seekers in South Florida are navigating a tricky mix of stubborn inflation, high interest rates and an AI shift that’s squeezing entry-level hiring.

— Jessica Lipscomb, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of squeeze

Verb

According to the police documents obtained by Law & Crime, Weatherall, 22, ordered a Lyft ride to an apartment complex in Greenville.

— Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 30 Aug. 2026
After obtaining the suspect's name and descriptions of both the man and his vehicle, DeLong cleared the call.

— Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of obtain

Verb

The trooper grabs the man by his wrist and his dreadlocks and began yanking his upper body through the window, the video shows.

— Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2026
As the man was unconscious, Slawson was accused of yanking the suspect out of the police vehicle, causing the man to hit and split his head on the concrete, the press release stated.

— Christian Cervantes, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of yank

Browse Nearby Words

wrights

wring

wringing

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Wring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wring. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of wring

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes