wring out

To twist and squeeze wet cloth so that the water comes out.

• Wring out the wet towel.
• She wrung out her shirt after the rain.
• Have you wrung the cloth out yet?

How to use it: wring something out (Wring the cloth out over the sink.)

Similar words: wring, squeeze out

Common phrases: wring out something, wring out towels, wring out clothes

To make someone give you information, money, or something else when they do not want to.

• She wrung the truth out of him.
• They tried to wring more money out of us.
• How did you wring that answer out of her?

How to use it: wring something out of someone (They wrung a confession out of him.)

Similar words: extract, force out

Common phrases: wring something out, wring out money

To fly a plane as hard as possible to discover what it can do.

• The pilot wrung out the new plane.
• They wring out each aircraft before approving it.
• She spent the afternoon wringing the fighter out.

How to use it: wring an aircraft out (The test pilot wrung the aircraft out over the sea.)

Similar words: test to the limit

Common phrases: wring out aircraft, wring out something