hand-wringing
noun
hand-wring·ing
ˈhand-ˌriŋ-iŋ 
: an overwrought expression of concern or guilt
handwringer
noun
Examples of hand-wringing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The current round of liberal hand-wringing about how conservatives have become far better at driving the political conversation stems in large part from Kirk.
—
David Weigel, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2025
As the calendar turns to fall, there’s been a lot of hand-wringing over the 2025 summer box office, which the New York Times reported was at its lowest point since 1981.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2025
No more hand-wringing and excuses by politicians who love to talk while people are terrorized.
—Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
Somewhat lost in the hand-wringing over the CEO announcement, Target actually topped Wall Street expectations for sales and earnings during its fiscal second quarter.
—Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
The tariff ramp-up has prompted hand-wringing and contingency planning, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an audience with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 8 Aug. 2025
There were more defections, more hand-wringing calculations.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 10 July 2025
But the weekend gathering wasn’t all hand-wringing and liquid refreshment.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 4 June 2025
Huang’s unapologetic stance on AI is bracing in its way, especially in contrast with the public hand-wringing of many AI chieftains, fretting about the dangers of their LLMs while continuing to develop them.
—James Surowiecki, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
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David Weigel, semafor.com, 10 Sep. 2025
As the calendar turns to fall, there’s been a lot of hand-wringing over the 2025 summer box office, which the New York Times reported was at its lowest point since 1981.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2025
No more hand-wringing and excuses by politicians who love to talk while people are terrorized.
—Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
Somewhat lost in the hand-wringing over the CEO announcement, Target actually topped Wall Street expectations for sales and earnings during its fiscal second quarter.
—Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
The tariff ramp-up has prompted hand-wringing and contingency planning, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an audience with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 8 Aug. 2025
There were more defections, more hand-wringing calculations.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 10 July 2025
But the weekend gathering wasn’t all hand-wringing and liquid refreshment.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 4 June 2025
Huang’s unapologetic stance on AI is bracing in its way, especially in contrast with the public hand-wringing of many AI chieftains, fretting about the dangers of their LLMs while continuing to develop them.
—James Surowiecki, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand-wringing. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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