as in worry
disapproving
worried talk or behavior
There has been a lot of silly hand-wringing over the latest hike in interest rates.
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Recent Examples of hand-wringing
There was a fair bit of hand-wringing entering Tuesday’s contest about where or if Jeff Skinner fit into the equation.
—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
While hand-wringing Democrats and the media have focused on President Biden, Donald Trump met with Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 18 July 2024
Please, no more contrived hand-wringing and pearl-clutching about the Trump dictatorship.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2024
Since last Monday, when Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III had been diagnosed with cancer, the seventy-five-year-old monarch has been the subject of both hand-wringing concern and frenzied speculation.
—Anna Russell, The New Yorker, 12 Feb. 2024
Today, that hand-wringing delay has been nearly eliminated.
—Katie Palmer, STAT, 1 Dec. 2023
The combination of the new stadium, hand-wringing fans and — worst of all — disinterested indifference in the community has ripple effects beyond one locker room.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Nov. 2023
Both episodes benefit from a curiosity about human nature that goes beyond hand-wringing monologues about our capacity for greed or complacency, and an affection for people in all our absurd and messy glory.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2023
For all the hand-wringing Kidd does about getting his team back together, Doncic has played in 57 of 69 games.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 14 Mar. 2023
Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
While hand-wringing Democrats and the media have focused on President Biden, Donald Trump met with Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 18 July 2024
Please, no more contrived hand-wringing and pearl-clutching about the Trump dictatorship.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2024
Since last Monday, when Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III had been diagnosed with cancer, the seventy-five-year-old monarch has been the subject of both hand-wringing concern and frenzied speculation.
—Anna Russell, The New Yorker, 12 Feb. 2024
Today, that hand-wringing delay has been nearly eliminated.
—Katie Palmer, STAT, 1 Dec. 2023
The combination of the new stadium, hand-wringing fans and — worst of all — disinterested indifference in the community has ripple effects beyond one locker room.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Nov. 2023
Both episodes benefit from a curiosity about human nature that goes beyond hand-wringing monologues about our capacity for greed or complacency, and an affection for people in all our absurd and messy glory.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2023
For all the hand-wringing Kidd does about getting his team back together, Doncic has played in 57 of 69 games.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 14 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-wringing
Noun
-
Trade tensions and signs of slowing growth have led to worries that a recession could be looming.—
Auzinea Bacon,
CNN,
9 Mar. 2025
-
Those worries were only amplified by his State of the Union speech.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA TODAY,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Despite getting the surgery, Cassidy acknowledges that her BRCA status presents ongoing concerns about ovarian cancer.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Lawmakers, including Democrats and some Republicans, have voiced concerns, particularly over the potential loss of successful USAID programs that have helped combat Ebola and provided life-saving HIV/AIDS treatment in Africa.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In the film, Shear stars as Sam, a once-promising law student whose anxiety has slowly chipped away at his confidence in all areas of his life.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
7 Mar. 2025
-
One possibility is anxiety, which, according to Kaiser, feeds on avoidance.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Then, as now, much of the moral panic over what's being taught in schools is really rooted in anxieties about the racial order of the United States.—
Gene Demby,
NPR,
7 Mar. 2025
-
But another 454 people were injured during the ensuing panic.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
The Denver Post,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
But last year's Olympics were also a major source of anguish.—
Christopher Intagliata,
NPR,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Every repeat viewing of Abraham's performance reveals some new moment of humiliation — some fresh sickening glimmer of anguish that feels all too familiar.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Jurors deliberated less than 90 minutes over the crime, which renewed fears of anti-Muslim discrimination in the Chicago area’s large and established Palestinian community.—
Sophia Tareen and Melissa Perez Winder,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2025
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The number of cancellations comes from a person who asked for anonymity because of the fear of repercussions at the Post.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Rather, according to the article, their union ended because of tension in their work and married life.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
7 Mar. 2025
-
The tension reflects broader trade policy frictions.—
Ronak D. Desai,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
With the Heat entering Saturday in seventh place in the Eastern Conference and four games behind the sixth-place Detroit Pistons for the East’s final playoff spot that doesn’t require having to go through play-in, the standings have helped create that level of desperation.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
2 Mar. 2025
-
When guests arrive in town with a plan that will uproot Junie’s life, her act of desperation wakes Minnie’s spirit from the grave, also unveiling horrifying secrets about Bellereine.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-wringing. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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