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
On Hacks, the end of Deborah’s and Ava’s late night dreams made for dramatic reckoning, but our heroes eschewed hand-wringing.
—
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Despite industry-wide hand-wringing over the rise of streaming, watching a movie at home and seeing a movie in the theater are not mutually exclusive experiences.
—Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
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
Whatever minor hand-wringing the opening of the 113-room hotel may have caused, it’s been widely embraced in the few years since opening.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 4 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
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Despite industry-wide hand-wringing over the rise of streaming, watching a movie at home and seeing a movie in the theater are not mutually exclusive experiences.
—Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025
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
Whatever minor hand-wringing the opening of the 113-room hotel may have caused, it’s been widely embraced in the few years since opening.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 4 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-wringing
Noun
-
Shanen Wright, 48, a lifelong Charleston resident who lives near CAMC Memorial, said many in the city have little worry about flooding in the face of more immediate problems, like the opioid epidemic and the decline of manufacturing and mining.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
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Rising worries During the Milken Institute Asia Summit, other experts warned that retail inflows could distort pricing, erode returns and destabilize fund structures designed for long-term investments or patient capital.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Phillies entered the ninth trailing 4-1 and quickly reminded the Dodgers why their bullpen concerns are so loud.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
On the heels of Karen’s sentencing, the women gather at Gizelle’s house to commiserate, and spend the whole scene dancing between concern, empathy, and absurdity.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Other benefits of acupuncture were pain intensity reduction, an improvement of physical functions, and fewer anxiety symptoms.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The stress among the friend group about their costume theme is giving me more anxiety than a haunted hayride.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There was still no panic when, in March 2023, CRH — the world’s biggest building materials supplier — chose to switch to New York.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
-
But the real success lies in making hydration a daily habit, not a panic-buying response.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Yet even the loudest music could not drown out the anguish.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Alma returns home one evening to find Maggie waiting outside with a look of wild anguish and a terrible experience to recount.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The fear was that Jayden Daniels would be limited, that the brace on his left knee — or the knee itself — would hinder his running or his elusiveness, eliminate his quick cuts or somehow slow him down.—
Nicki Jhabvala,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Colangelo added that, in these depictions, the fear of transness is more present than the fear of being killed.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The state avoided that sort of catastrophe, but the tensions inside its prisons between those confined and those paid to watch them seeped into the outside world, commanding the attention of reporters and the scrutiny of political leaders.—
Jennifer Gonnerman,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Between them stretches the long expanse of the table—a zone of tension, where the celestial mission of knowledge collides with the earthly reality of budgets.—
Rick Burton,
Sportico.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Trailing by two scores in the fourth quarter, Dart shifted into desperation mode.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Okane is desperate at the prospect of losing both her true love and her one defender, and her desperation gives rise to extravagant and harrowing drama.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-wringing. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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