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
-
Washington does not share this worry, Zelenskyy claimed.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
21 Jan. 2025
-
While markets often climb a wall of worry, this wall looks more like a cliff.—
Bob Haber,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
And recently thousands of physicians and others in health care have signed onto letters echoing these concerns.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
28 Jan. 2025
-
Lifting their lips Growling Baring their teeth Addressing Resource Guarding If a dog displays resource guarding, owners are encouraged to consult a veterinarian to rule out underlying medical issues, as behavioral changes or aggression could indicate health concerns.—
Barbara A. Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The situation caused Campbell a lot of anxiety, but became a pivotal shift in her perspective.—
Kait Hanson,
Glamour,
18 Jan. 2025
-
Then the widespread anxiety spurred by a wave of high-profile robberies and the deadly home-invasion of Jacqueline Avant.—
Gary Baum,
The Hollywood Reporter,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
People who are impacted by natural disaster may feel a strong sense of grief, panic, loss, fear and sadness, according to the University of Houston's Department of Psychology.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
17 Jan. 2025
-
By the end of the 90-minute debate, those who had been able to bear sticking around were in a panic.—
Annie Karni,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
However, this child was left vulnerable...and [their parents] now faced the anguish of watching their child fight for their life on a ventilator.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
27 Jan. 2025
-
The football world felt the collective anguish of a fan base during Buffalo’s 13-seconds loss to Kansas City.—
Matthew Fairburn,
The Athletic,
25 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
But this progress was not inevitable; it was forged through struggle and the determination to rise above fear and division.—
John Hope Bryant,
TIME,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Letting go of the fear now serves as an unspoken theme of Chickahominy.—
Tricia Despres,
People.com,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
There was also a prolonged drought, a nasty port strike and constant tensions between locals and Dust Bowl immigrants over impacts on social services.—
Gary Baum,
The Hollywood Reporter,
18 Jan. 2025
-
Not only were there some creative differences between the film's director and writer, David Goyer and New Line Cinema, but there were also some tensions on set.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
People.com,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Organized theft is no petty crime; these are not one-off crimes of desperation or a mom lifting a can of formula to feed her baby.—
Cailey Locklair,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Jan. 2025
-
That’s a Shawn Ryan [decision in the writing], and then my job is to act out that turmoil and choreograph the desperation and brutality.—
Max Gao,
The Hollywood Reporter,
25 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hand-wringing
Cite this Entry
“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-wringing. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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