Other forms: wrung out; wringing out; wrings out; wringed out
To wring out is to squeeze liquid from something by pressing or twisting it — or to extract information from someone using a similar kind of force.
When you wring out the sponge you're using to wash your mom's car, you squeeze and compress it, forcing the soapy water out of it. Similarly, when you figuratively wring something out, you exert pressure: "I'm not sure what it's going to take to wring the money out of her, but I'm determined to get what she owes me!" This word wring comes from a root that means "to bend, turn, or twist."