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
But the weekend gathering wasn’t all hand-wringing and liquid refreshment.
—
Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 4 June 2025
Despite one spectacular, pulse-pounding aerial sequence that will take your breath away near the finale, and a brilliant, hand-wringing scene underwater in a sunken submarine, the eighth and perhaps final entry in a franchise that has provided a bounty of escapist thrills is a shrug of a movie.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 19 May 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
The latest round of hand-wringing on AI was set off last week when Alibaba’s co-founder said the rush to erect new facilities is getting ahead of demand for AI services.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025
Ironically, the film is tracking rather nicely for a March release despite all the hand-wringing and hubbub, with Snow White likely debuting at $50 million to $56 million domestically, according to a leading tracking service.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025
There's obviously been a lot of hand-wringing over how Democrats treated the State of the Union address.
—ABC News, 9 Mar. 2025
When it was published a few years ago in The Believer, the essay prompted much hand-wringing about AI and creativity, separating the collaborationists from the resistance.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 3 Mar. 2025
Throw in concerns about youth crime, and the hand-wringing becomes positively deafening.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2025
Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 4 June 2025
Despite one spectacular, pulse-pounding aerial sequence that will take your breath away near the finale, and a brilliant, hand-wringing scene underwater in a sunken submarine, the eighth and perhaps final entry in a franchise that has provided a bounty of escapist thrills is a shrug of a movie.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 19 May 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
The latest round of hand-wringing on AI was set off last week when Alibaba’s co-founder said the rush to erect new facilities is getting ahead of demand for AI services.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025
Ironically, the film is tracking rather nicely for a March release despite all the hand-wringing and hubbub, with Snow White likely debuting at $50 million to $56 million domestically, according to a leading tracking service.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025
There's obviously been a lot of hand-wringing over how Democrats treated the State of the Union address.
—ABC News, 9 Mar. 2025
When it was published a few years ago in The Believer, the essay prompted much hand-wringing about AI and creativity, separating the collaborationists from the resistance.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 3 Mar. 2025
Throw in concerns about youth crime, and the hand-wringing becomes positively deafening.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-wringing
Noun
-
The fact Ishiba’s LDP faces an election on July 20 only heightens the BOJ’s worries about the political establishment striking back.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
-
But plenty of Republicans have expressed worries about the provision as well, imperiling its passage.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
While the conflict is concerning, radioactivity as a result of the military strikes is not a top concern, nuclear experts say.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
21 June 2025
-
This has increased concern over escalating rhetoric and the possibility that individual actors will feel compelled to take matters into their own hands.—
Odette Yousef,
NPR,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
An earlier 2019 study in Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance found turbulence, unfamiliar aircraft noises, and the threat of terror attacks were among the top anxiety triggers.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
-
In addition to being an outstanding source of quality protein, vitamins, and minerals, eggs contain choline, an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in brain health and helps to reduce stress and anxiety by improving emotional well-being.—
Alessandra Signorelli,
Vogue,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
Yet rather than panic, creators have been quick to adapt.—
Vivian Toh,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
Yet the faces and the fashions, not to mention the paranoia and the panic, feel very Seventies.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Drawing heavily from Qiu’s biography, My Father’s Son centers on an 18-year-old protagonist, Qiao, who loses his voice while attempting to deliver the eulogy at his father’s funeral and flees in anguish.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2025
-
Many of us watch in anguish as our compatriots abandon their homes, desperate for a safe haven beyond the reach of oppression and destruction.—
Nazanin Boniadi,
Time,
17 June 2025
Noun
-
As the threat of more strikes continues to fuel fears in Israel, the residents of Tamra are left feeling anxious.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
16 June 2025
-
The film raked in what would today equal nearly $2.7 billion and left a legacy of fear that fueled shark culls, trophy hunts, and policies rooted more in panic than science.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
These emotional tensions can cloud a parent's judgment.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
23 June 2025
-
Trump activated 2,000 Natural Guard troops without receiving approval from California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) or Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D), who argued that bringing in the reinforcements would inflame tensions in the city.—
Mychael Schnell,
The Hill,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a chance to close out the series in Game 6 on Thursday night, but the Indiana Pacers came out with desperation in front of their home crowd and dominated for nearly the entire contest.—
Nick Crain,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
-
Perry strips the narrative down to raw moments of desperation, exploring what can happen when someone's pushed beyond their limits.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-wringing. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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