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
-
What the public worries about is clarity from their politicians.—
Carlton Reid,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Another major worry for those who’ve been able to live in their homes is all the trash.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
But investigators have since sought to quell those concerns.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA TODAY,
22 Feb. 2025
-
Investors sold off shares of some popular companies following a weak forecast from retail giant Walmart, which raised concerns about the economic outlook.—
Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
While some financial hiccups are normal in early adulthood, ongoing instability could signal deeper struggles with budgeting, impulsivity or even financial anxiety.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
-
Merz vowed to bring stronger leadership in Europe at a moment when Trump had sowed anxiety on the continent by scrambling traditional alliances and embracing Russia.—
Emmett Lindner,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
That’s understandably caused some panic among the fan base.—
Cory Lavalette,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
-
Spreading moral panic Trump is already actively deploying a key tactic in expanding mass surveillance: causing moral panics.—
Brittany Friedman,
The Conversation,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The loss of 67 lives, many of them young people, fills me with anguish.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2025
-
It is filled with people waiting for resettlement, living with constant anguish while facing the risk of arrest and deportation.—
Anne Chan,
NBC News,
1 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Had fear of exposure or rejection kept you from fully stepping into leadership or creative risk?—
Colin Bedell,
Them,
28 Feb. 2025
-
According to polling by the Bipartisan Policy Center, nearly one in four mothers have considered leaving their jobs due to a lack of accommodations or fear of discrimination during pregnancy.—
G Kirilloff,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Balanced mid palate with slight tension between acidity and the chunky red and black fruits.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
-
Pakistan is the host of this tournament, though tensions between the nation and India have led to some matches taking place in Dubai.—
Mark Joseph,
Newsweek,
23 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
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,
21 Feb. 2025
-
Their swollen limbs, skeletal frames, and mewling cries of desperation are what keep me awake at night.—
Jennifer Furin,
TIME,
19 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-wringing. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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