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
While workers are hand-wringing at the prospect of an algorithm taking their job, bosses are reassuring workers that AI is just like any other technological revolution.
—
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
This has caused the usual hand-wringing about competitive imbalance and the inherent plight of small-market teams.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
The annual hand-wringing around whether New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone should be fired is already under way, but that won’t be decided for weeks as the club’s management takes a breath and grieves the club’s latest playoff exit.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 12 Oct. 2025
Once more, violent video games will be summoned for a brief moment of soul-searching and hand-wringing by political leaders representing constituents desperate to find a simple solution to our nation’s complex troubles.
—Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Leavy catalogs this wistfulness not in the spirit of hand-wringing, but more as an earnest problem solver.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
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
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2025
This has caused the usual hand-wringing about competitive imbalance and the inherent plight of small-market teams.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
The annual hand-wringing around whether New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone should be fired is already under way, but that won’t be decided for weeks as the club’s management takes a breath and grieves the club’s latest playoff exit.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 12 Oct. 2025
Once more, violent video games will be summoned for a brief moment of soul-searching and hand-wringing by political leaders representing constituents desperate to find a simple solution to our nation’s complex troubles.
—Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Leavy catalogs this wistfulness not in the spirit of hand-wringing, but more as an earnest problem solver.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-wringing
Noun
-
For Dillon Robertson, 32, money is a constant worry.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
2 Nov. 2025
-
The latter film was made based on the confessions of young people living in Latvia who openly spoke of patronizing teachers and parents, worries for the future and fears over fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.—
Will Tizard,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The deployment has also raised concerns about racial profiling, wrongful arrests, and political pressure on law enforcement to align with federal immigration crackdowns.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
-
He was included on the short list of presidential candidates in 2022 when Democrats started airing concerns about then-President Joe Biden's ability to run for a second term.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
That driving tension and anxiety are largely thanks to the team of artisans, which included composer Volker Bertelmann, editor Kirk Baxter and sound designer Paul Ottosson, who worked closely behind the scenes on their respective crafts to bring it together.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
25 Oct. 2025
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That sense of anxiety is present throughout the book, most vividly in a wide shot of a group of cheerleaders rehearsing in a gym.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Redirect their attention If your dog is anxious and barking in a panic, your first step is to remove them from the trigger.—
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
-
At times, though, the panic would close in on me.—
Brad Schmitt,
Nashville Tennessean,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The towering performance has generated major Oscar buzz since the film’s premiere at Telluride, where audiences were visibly shaken — and deeply moved — by Buckley’s portrayal of a mother’s anguish.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The lawsuit, filed by Morgan & Morgan, says the woman lost consciousness and suffered permanent bodily injury, mental anguish, and more in the incident on the Mako coaster on March 24.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Despite the occasional mutual love, progressives have argued that Sliwa has previously stoked racist fears and encouraged vigilante aggression.—
Naaman Zhou,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Glossier is supporting other alumni of its 5-year-old grant program this year because of the challenges so many of these emerging brands are facing—and despite political fear among many other companies to keep these kinds of programs going.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Surveillance footage from inside the Domino’s shows pandemonium — customers wearing Halloween accessories, people standing on tables and chairs and others recording on their phones as tensions escalated.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
When asked about the tension between communal theatrical experiences and streaming platforms, both directors acknowledged the paradox.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
India lost its review in desperation to get Wolvaardt dismissed, and then gambled with Verma’s gentle off-breakers.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Under this scenario, irregular migration continues, driven by desperation abroad and labor demand at home.—
Jonathan Portes,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-wringing. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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