Metaphor for a difficult ordeal (7)

I believe the answer is:

wringer

(Other definitions for wringer that I've seen before include "Old-fashioned clothes dryer" , "Kitchen appliance" , "Old clothes dryer" , "A mangle" , "trouble when put through this?" .)

I've seen this clue in The New York Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.