HAND-WRINGINGS Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

hand-wringing

noun

Definition of hand-wringing

as in worry

disapproving worried talk or behavior There has been a lot of silly hand-wringing over the latest hike in interest rates.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hand-wringing There has been a lot of hand-wringing lately about whether artists can still afford to live in New York. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 27 Aug. 2026 Ocasio-Cortez’s choice to share her egg-freezing publicly has kicked off furious debate and confused hand-wringing among conservatives. — Anna Russell, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026 New baby 3, fifth draft… In between, much hand-wringing, catastrophising, drinking of wine, learning of nursery rhymes. — Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026 This has no relevance to anything, but Malcolm’s hand-wringing about the cat’s mental health is just so revealing there. — Merve Emre, The New York Review of Books, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hand-wringing

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-wringing

Noun

Capital One jumped 3% after struggling last week amid worries about higher gasoline prices and credit delinquencies.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026
Several hacks on government infrastructure underscored growing worry over the use of AI to undermine cybersecurity.

— Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of worry

Noun

America in 2026 is not Nazi Germany, but events from 88 years ago still overshadow the thinking and anxiety of millions of Jews.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026
Advertisement Even reading this suggestion to consider being more open-minded may increase your anxiety and create tension in your body.

— Joan M. Cook, Time, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of anxiety

Noun

His wife, Stacy Petit Bennett, told the outlet her husband called her in a panic as his truck became surrounded by floodwaters on San Filippo Drive.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
On Wednesday, a rush to open new accounts elsewhere crashed other banks’ mobile apps, fueling public panic.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of panic

Noun

The angst and anguish and the ability to come up with a damn good hook are still there, even if the pressures and the stress of adulthood have taken on aching new heights.

— Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2026
Stardom and success mixed with grief and anguish seemed to pour over into the season.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of anguish

Noun

Given the global deployment of US troops and the frequency of its use of force, the fear was that the ICC would make US officials and soldiers vulnerable, and would reduce its freedom of military action.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 8 Nov. 2026
Unreleased | Getty Images A spate of bomb threats against passenger flights has forced diversions, emergency landings and military escorts across European airspace this week, stoking fear among passengers and heaping pressure on airlines.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of fear

Noun

Amid ongoing tensions, Gallucci and the band parted ways in 2016, and Cold War Kids settled into their most stable lineup with Willett, Maust, Plummer, keyboardist Matthew Schwartz and guitarist David Quon, a fellow Biola alum.

— Pamela Chelin, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026
The realization settled in for Republicans on Tuesday, when tensions flared over reelecting Senate GOP Leader John Thune (R-SD) and the rest of his leadership team over whether more time should be given to process the party’s election shellacking.

— Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of tension

Noun

Jamarr Cole shows us both the hopes and the desperation in Guy’s dreams, while Alejandro Cirino finds an appealingly weary nobility in his doctor.

— Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Nov. 2026
Meszaros plays Lisbeth, a gawky reject whose desperation to join the dance team leads her to some fairly sinful decisions.

— Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of desperation

Browse Nearby Words

handwringers

hand-wringing

handwriting

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-wringing. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of hand-wringing

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

boilerplate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes