To wring something means to twist and squeeze it tightly, usually to force liquid out. When you wring out a wet towel after swimming, you twist it hard with both hands to squeeze the water from it. People wring out soaking wet clothes, mops, or sponges the same way.

The twisting motion is what makes wringing different from just squeezing. Try this: hold a dry washcloth by opposite corners and twist your hands in different directions. That twisting, squeezing action is wringing, even without water involved.

You might also hear the expression wringing wet, which describes something so soaked that you could wring water from it. After being caught in a rainstorm, you might say your clothes were wringing wet.

The word appears in the phrase “wring your hands,” which means to twist your hands together anxiously, usually when you're worried about something and feel helpless to fix it. A character in a story might wring her hands while waiting for important news. This action shows distress without using words, just like wringing water from a towel uses twisting force to solve a problem.