Put through the wringer

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Meaning

To be squeezed hard, worn out.

Origin

From 20th-century America, tied to laundry; 'wringer' squeezed clothes, slang by 1940s for strain. A 1942 'Life' uses it for a war test.

Usage Examples

  • She's been put through the wringer; exhausted.
  • Put through the wringer; he's beat.
  • That test put me through the wringer.

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