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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-wringing
Noun
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The prospect of governments being ousted in Tokyo and Paris fueled further uncertainty, while investors voiced worry over expansive deficit spending in London and Berlin.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
My worry is that inaction is not a strategy.—
Shivaram Rajgopal,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
And Danielson noted that the team now has plenty of time to practice and give attention to areas of concern.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Sep. 2025
-
At the same time, concern is growing about how certain food additives and preservatives may disrupt the gut’s delicate balance.—
Abby Norman,
Verywell Health,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
At the council meeting for the resolution, several migrants and their families spoke in favor of its passage, expressing their anxieties in day-to-day life, according to The Chronicle.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The starting point is learning to cultivate present-moment awareness and simply noticing your anxiety.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As an adult, financial matters, especially, threw him into a panic and eventually sent him to therapy.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Even when things might look bleak, investors with cash on hand can afford to wait it out and not panic.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Haley Robson described the anguish caused by ever-metastasizing Epstein conspiracy theories and endless Epstein news cycles, and her hope that releasing the files could finally put the case to bed.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Above all, there’s Rob, whose romantic getaway has turned into a slog of romantic anguish.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But all friends need to be honest with each other, to tell each other home truths when it’s needed, to confront those awkward moments without fear of the reaction.—
Steve Sedgwick,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The progressive fear that the Abundance movement wants to take over the Democratic Party isn’t baseless at all — its adherents have plenty of influence in it now.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Opened in 1946, the diner was the first in the city to hire African Americans in front-of-house roles during a time when racial tensions were heightened, and its inclusive legacy has lived on.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The cable machine helps keep the muscles in constant tension.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Daniels also threw a desperation pick while simply trying to get rid of the ball, but the game’s outcome was decided by then.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
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Tatum does stretch his acting abilities in scenes where Jeffrey’s con-man charisma is underlaid with desperation and deception, but there’s nothing in Cianfrance and Kirt Gunn’s screenplay to seriously challenge Tatum’s persona as a leading man.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-wringing. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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