hand-wringing

noun

Definition of hand-wringingnext
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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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 Instead, the Democratic Party is left with much hand-wringing ahead of November's midterm elections and growing calls for the party's executive leader to step down. — Michel Martin, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026 Their relatively easy approval was a stark contrast to the hand-wringing at the Chicago City Council over Mayor Brandon Johnson’s transit appointments, which ultimately passed after objections over their direct introductions in committee. — A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 16 July 2026 There has been a lot of hand-wringing about the declining population of Los Angeles County, which lost 54,000 people from July 2024 to July 2025, the biggest numeric population drop in the nation during that period, by far. — Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026 The lack of hand-wringing from outside legacy media may indicate a bigger shift. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for hand-wringing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-wringing
  1. worry
  2. concern
  3. anxiety
  4. panic
  5. anguish
  6. fear
  7. tension
  8. desperation
Noun
  • For some clubs that were running close to the wire under PSR, the shift will ease regulatory worries, as operating costs are now excluded.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Symptoms Symptoms can include sleeplessness, extreme worry about the baby or childbirth, restlessness and a racing heartbeat.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of worry
Noun
  • Connecticut Coalition for Pretrial Justice formed to press for reform of the cash bail system in Connecticut, something the group said keeps people behind bars not based on safety concerns but on their ability to pay.
    — Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Reports have surfaced this week of mental health concerns aboard the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln as its crew endures more than 200 days without a port call during operations against Iran.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of concern
Noun
  • As economic anxiety reshapes American masculinity, a growing subculture of young and working-class men is turning to maxxing out their bodies as a way to reclaim value in a labor market that increasingly devalues physical work.
    — Michael Kimmel, Time, 15 Aug. 2026
  • In other writings found on her cellphone, Clancy detailed her anxiety and depression, challenges raising her children and her hesitation to take new medication.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of anxiety
Noun
  • The move set off a panic rush for tax and legal advice, and a scramble for cash to meet the bill.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Yohanna Embu, who lives in Sikka, said people ran in a panic to higher ground.
    — Yacob Herin, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of panic
Noun
  • Her boisterous pre-teen twins Ethan and Caleb are too young to grasp quite what’s at stake; high school sophomore Sophie (Sandler) has rather more vivid memories of going through this anguish before.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But Alys recognizes the anguish of a man just beginning his cursed life.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • The quake initially triggered fears of a tsunami, and a warning from Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, issuing alerts to stay away from beaches and calls for people to evacuate.
    — Jason Volack, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Jacobita Cortes, a United Methodist pastor in Chicago, said that fear has changed the rhythms of her community.
    — Maria Santana, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of fear
Noun
  • Rising interfaith tensions and crime have driven many of the area’s Christians to emigrate, several said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Debbie intervenes to defuse the tension, then gets distracted by the presence of her nemesis, Cha Cha.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of tension
Noun
  • In desperation, Shraddha took her to another hospital with lower fees.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Later in the film, after the separation of the father from the rest of the family, the color red comes to signify a sense of desperation.
    — Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of desperation

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Cite this Entry

“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-wringing. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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