wringer

noun

wring·​er ˈriŋ-ər How to pronounce wringer (audio)
: one that wrings: such as
a
: a machine or device for pressing out liquid or moisture
a clothes wringer
b
: something that causes pain, hardship, or exertion
his illness put them through the wringer

Examples of wringer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Nearly a dozen engineers, hiring managers, and entrepreneurs who spoke with WIRED describe an environment in which technical job applicants are being put through the wringer. Lauren Goode, WIRED, 22 Feb. 2024 Even the Stark brood got to chase cats or swoon over princes for a few episodes before getting put through the wringer by the Lannisters. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024 Each episode is fairly predictable: A boss joins their blue-collar staff undercover as a trainee, is put through the wringer, and later enacts policies to change how the company is run. Sophie Van Bastelaer, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2023 While the wringer feature is also awesome and takes mere seconds to use, lugging around that bucket could be taxing after a while. Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2023 The chief executives of TikTok, Meta, X, Snap, and Discord went through the wringer of the Senate Judiciary Committee at a hearing focusing on children’s online safety on Wednesday. Kylie Robison, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2024 Isabella in the Shakespeare text has been put through a wringer. Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2023 The mop’s wringer was also very beneficial; to remove excess water, simply release the locking lever and push the handle down into the spin chamber. Jenna Clark, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2023 Psychiatrists say that for many people who have been put through the wringer over the past decade, the climate extremes are one crisis too many. Jason Horowitz, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wringer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wringer was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near wringer

Cite this Entry

“Wringer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wringer. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wringer

noun
wring·​er ˈriŋ-ər How to pronounce wringer (audio)
: one that wrings
especially : a machine or device for squeezing out liquid or moisture
clothes wringer

More from Merriam-Webster on wringer

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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