wrung
wring (one's) hands
To display one's worries about something but not act to address it. We must not just wring our hands about this famine. We must act to help those who are starving.
See also: hand, wring
wring (one's) neck
To strangle someone. The phrase is used as a threat, but never refers to actually strangling someone. I'll wring your neck the next time you talk to me like that, you hear me? That's the second time this week he's eaten my lunch. I ought to wring his neck!
See also: neck, wring
wring (something) from (someone or something)
1. To remove excess liquid from wet material in an attempt by twisting or squeezing it. Be sure to wring the excess water from that blanket before you hang it on the clothesline. She wrung the oil from the cloth into a bucket before trying to wipe some more up off the floor.
2. To apply pressure or force to convince or compel someone to give one what one wants. The guy's easily intimidated, so just threaten him for a while and you'll be able to wring some answers from him. They've been using blackmail to wring money from me for years.
See also: wring
wring (something) out of (someone or something)
1. Literally, to squeeze or twist wet fabric in an attempt to dry it. Be sure to wring the excess water out of that blanket before you hang it on the clothesline.
2. By extension, to pressure or otherwise convince someone to do what one wants. That guy's easily intimidated, so I'm confident you'll be able to wring some details out of him.
See also: of, out, wring
wring out
1. To squeeze or twist wet material in an attempt to dry it or remove excess liquid. A noun or pronoun can be used between "wring" and "out." The washing machine isn't draining properly, so be sure to wring everything out before you hang it up. I'll have to wring out my hair after that rain storm!
2. To remove excess liquid from wet material in an attempt by twisting or squeezing it. A noun or pronoun can be used between "wring" and "out." Be sure to wring the excess water out of that blanket before you hang it on the clothesline. She wrung the oil out of the cloth into a bucket before trying to wipe some more up off the floor.
3. To apply pressure or force to convince or compel someone to give one what one wants. A noun or pronoun is used between "wring" and "out." The guy's easily intimidated, so just threaten him for a while and you'll be able to wring some answers out of him. They've been using blackmail to wring money out of me for years.
See also: out, wring
wring water from a stone
To do something that is very hard to accomplish, especially when dealing with other people in some way. Good luck getting a group of toddlers to sit still—it's like wringing water from a stone. Don't bother trying to get an answer from him. You can't wring water from a stone.
See also: stone, water, wring
wring water out of a stone
To do something that is very hard to accomplish, especially when dealing with other people in some way. Good luck getting a group of toddlers to sit still—it's like wringing water out of a stone. Don't bother trying to get an answer from him. You can't wring water out of a stone.
See also: of, out, stone, water, wring
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
wring something out
to squeeze or twist something dry of liquid. He wrung the rag out and wiped up more of the spilled milk. Liz wrung out the rag and wiped up more of the spilled milk.
See also: out, wring
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
wring out
v.
1. To twist, squeeze, or compress something, especially so as to extract liquid: I wrung out the wet towel. Wring the clothes out before you hang them on the line.
2. To extract some liquid by twisting or compressing something: Wring out the suds from the dishcloth when you're done washing the dishes. She twisted her hair to wring the rain out of it.
3. To obtain or extract some information by applying force or pressure to someone; extort something from someone: We can wring out the story from him if we question him long enough. The prosecutor wrung the truth out of the reluctant witness.
See also: out, wring
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
- wring (one's) hands
- wring your hands
- get in the act
- get into the act
- get into/in the act, to
- set an example
- in flagrante
- in flagrante (delicto)
- delicto
- flagrante