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
Perhaps because of their rarity, aviation incidents (or near accidents) tend to generate headlines and hand-wringing.
—
Zach Wichter, USA Today, 4 May 2026
For all the hand-wringing every year about how many prospects decide to attend in person, the NFL has made its choice pretty clear.
—Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
And for all the hand-wringing that this game provided — with the possible loss of NBA Draft lottery odds should the Warriors win on Friday — to have seen genius once again is something that cannot be taken for granted.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Snapchat would, in fact, be superseded as the political-comms fad du jour, but Democratic hand-wringing about the Party’s visibility in a fragmented attention economy has never gone out of style, and Swalwell has often been seen as an exemplar of how to be everywhere, all at once.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Publicly, without hand-wringing.
—Kyle P. Edmonds, STAT, 9 Apr. 2026
The community hand-wringing picked up when the Bills began charging $8,000-$50,000 annually per patron on PSLs for club seats.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026
Those who haven’t purchased trip insurance, can’t avoid the flight or have to travel out of necessity are going to be doing a lot of hand-wringing before the airport.
—Beth Collums, AJC.com, 3 Apr. 2026
There’s been a fair bit of hand-wringing in college basketball circles about the lack of Cinderella stories in this year’s NCAA men’s tournament.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Zach Wichter, USA Today, 4 May 2026
For all the hand-wringing every year about how many prospects decide to attend in person, the NFL has made its choice pretty clear.
—Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
And for all the hand-wringing that this game provided — with the possible loss of NBA Draft lottery odds should the Warriors win on Friday — to have seen genius once again is something that cannot be taken for granted.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Snapchat would, in fact, be superseded as the political-comms fad du jour, but Democratic hand-wringing about the Party’s visibility in a fragmented attention economy has never gone out of style, and Swalwell has often been seen as an exemplar of how to be everywhere, all at once.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Publicly, without hand-wringing.
—Kyle P. Edmonds, STAT, 9 Apr. 2026
The community hand-wringing picked up when the Bills began charging $8,000-$50,000 annually per patron on PSLs for club seats.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026
Those who haven’t purchased trip insurance, can’t avoid the flight or have to travel out of necessity are going to be doing a lot of hand-wringing before the airport.
—Beth Collums, AJC.com, 3 Apr. 2026
There’s been a fair bit of hand-wringing in college basketball circles about the lack of Cinderella stories in this year’s NCAA men’s tournament.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-wringing
Noun
-
Prices surged overnight on worries that the war will affect the flow of crude for a long time.—
Mae Anderson,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
Wall Street’s strength followed manic swings in the oil market, where prices surged overnight on worries that the Iran war will affect the flow of crude for a long time.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While there have been no reports of illness, authorities urge people to contact a health care provider for any concerns.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
-
Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the HHS, which oversees the FDA, said the studies were pulled over concerns about their conclusions.—
Padmanabhan Ananthan,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
The next, everyone is discussing climate anxiety among urban houseplants.—
Larry Clifton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
-
Typically found at gas stations and smoke shops, kratom and its synthetic version, known as 7-Hydroxymitragynine or 7-OH, have been marketed as an over-the-counter aid for pain, anxiety and drug dependence.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Lord Cornwallis encountered these imperial priorities in 1778, when he was briefly ordered to leave America along with four thousand troops during a panic that the French might invade Jamaica.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Everyone experiences moments of existential despair, when one bad day or cataclysmic event sends you into a headspace that’s some combination of panic and self-reflection.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
That last sentence comes out choked with anguish, his voice breaking on the final word.—
Amy Driscoll,
Miami Herald,
3 May 2026
-
The $10 million in noneconomic damages was for issues including pain and suffering and mental anguish.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And though Fanny released their albums in a post-Stonewall environment, the band’s gay members felt pressured to remain in the closet for fear of losing their record deal or the support of their fans.—
Marissa Lorusso,
Pitchfork,
3 May 2026
-
Lane harrowingly captures the paralyzing fear of being ordinary, while Metcalf will overwhelm you with the sheer emotion of her performance as Willy’s fiercely loyal wife, Linda.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
But as the night wore on, that belief turned into tension.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
-
Strong said improving basic conditions would help address the health of inmates and reduce tensions.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Shifting gears confidently into the second half of the season, this week’s episode has a more cohesive feel than the show has been able to manage so far, turning a series of interrelated crises into a Magnolia-esque montage of desperation from most of the major characters.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
3 May 2026
-
But Nelson and other advocates say companies like these aren’t offering a real solution, but are taking advantage of tenants’ desperation.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-wringing. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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