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
Just this spring, from hand-wringing about the state of the league to, today, a finals that has everyone excited to tune in.
—
Dan Shanoff, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Normally, this time of year for Bay Area residents means blooms of orange poppies, graduation announcements and hand-wringing over the San Francisco Giants’ record.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
But this hand-wringing has led to little tangible reform.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
And despite the offseason hand-wringing, baseball’s in a better spot than it’s been in decades.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Perhaps because of their rarity, aviation incidents (or near accidents) tend to generate headlines and hand-wringing.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 4 May 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
Dan Shanoff, New York Times, 3 June 2026
Normally, this time of year for Bay Area residents means blooms of orange poppies, graduation announcements and hand-wringing over the San Francisco Giants’ record.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 26 May 2026
But this hand-wringing has led to little tangible reform.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
And despite the offseason hand-wringing, baseball’s in a better spot than it’s been in decades.
—Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Perhaps because of their rarity, aviation incidents (or near accidents) tend to generate headlines and hand-wringing.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 4 May 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-wringing
Noun
-
Even Republican leaders expressed worries.—
Eric McDaniel,
NPR,
11 June 2026
-
Flynn wants allied coordination and worries about unilateral overreach.—
Mayra Rodriguez Valladares,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
After years of planning, anticipation, hype and a growing concern over high ticket prices and immigration restrictions, the largest World Cup in history kicks off on Thursday in Mexico City and will run through July 19 across 16 cities in Mexico, the United States and Canada.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
-
The document also noted additional concerns.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The Tonys are a place to put on a brave face, but will the anxiety creep in?—
Vulture Editors,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
-
Acting as both tour guide and impromptu airplane anxiety therapist is all part of the job for Swanstrom.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Ednar Dayanghirang, director of the Office of Civil Defense in a nearby southern region, said more than 100 students attending morning flag-raising ceremonies sustained bruises and some fainted in panic at different elementary and high schools.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
But that’s hard to square with the panic that took hold of Moscow last month, when an annual military parade was shortened for fear it would be interrupted by Ukrainian drones.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Lost in the Brazilian tears, anguish and confusion was just how clinical the Germans had been.—
Will Jeanes,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
-
Bardem is captivating and formidable, grinning with maniacal glee at his every act of depravity and the fear and anguish of his victims.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Israel launched airstrikes on central and western Iran after Tehran fired missiles at Israel, jolting major cities with explosions and raising fears the region is sliding back toward all-out war.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
Mexican authorities have previously expressed fears they could be used as weapons by rowdy fans.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
This latest attempt was a political project, signaling European unity as tensions brewed on the continent’s borders.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
More complicated maneuvers can be completed by adjusting the tension on the lines or by running forward and backward.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
For me, the art was a distraction, an effort to generate excitement and sell extra tickets — something that the garden, which is attracting large numbers of visitors lately, no longer needs to do with such desperation.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
-
This is a strategy born not of manly strength, but of submissive desperation.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-wringing. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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