put through the wringer
To interrogate or scrutinize closely; to subject to some trial or ordeal.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The boss put me through the wringer during my interview.”
“The police put the suspect through the wringer for hours until he finally admitted the truth.”
“After the committee put his research proposal through the wringer, he realized he needed to revise his entire methodology before they would approve the funding.”
- 01
get one's tits in a wringer
To get into trouble.
- 02
lipstick on a pig
To make superficial or cosmetic changes to something in a doomed attempt to disguise its fundamental flaws.
- 03
not to put too fine a point on it
Used to apologize for a possibly impolite statement one is making; to put it bluntly; to express it in plain terms.
- 04
put a band-aid on a bullet wound
To inadequately treat a serious situation.
- 05
put a blanket over
Make (something) seem less serious.
- 06
put a bug in someone's ear
To make a small suggestion or give a hint that causes the listener to act.
- 07
put a damper on
To stop people from enjoying an activity.
- 08
put a foot wrong
To make a mistake.
Last updated August 10, 2026