through the wringer

phrase

informal

: through a series of very difficult or unpleasant experiences

Those poor people have really gone/been through the wringer lately.

They were put through the wringer by the adoption agency.

Examples of through the wringer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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The Primetime Emmy Awards have been through the wringer most of this decade, from the COVID-19 pandemic, to the SAG and WGA strikes, to the Los Angeles wildfires last year. — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 8 July 2026

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“Through the wringer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/through%20the%20wringer. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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