as in worry
disapproving
worried talk or behavior
There has been a lot of silly hand-wringing over the latest hike in interest rates.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples 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
While hand-wringing Democrats and the media have focused on President Biden, Donald Trump met with Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister.
—
Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 18 July 2024
Please, no more contrived hand-wringing and pearl-clutching about the Trump dictatorship.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2024
Since last Monday, when Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III had been diagnosed with cancer, the seventy-five-year-old monarch has been the subject of both hand-wringing concern and frenzied speculation.
—Anna Russell, The New Yorker, 12 Feb. 2024
Today, that hand-wringing delay has been nearly eliminated.
—Katie Palmer, STAT, 1 Dec. 2023
The combination of the new stadium, hand-wringing fans and — worst of all — disinterested indifference in the community has ripple effects beyond one locker room.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Nov. 2023
Both episodes benefit from a curiosity about human nature that goes beyond hand-wringing monologues about our capacity for greed or complacency, and an affection for people in all our absurd and messy glory.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2023
For all the hand-wringing Kidd does about getting his team back together, Doncic has played in 57 of 69 games.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 14 Mar. 2023
The other involves hand-wringing and whining about their (purportedly) ruinous tax bills.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2023
Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 18 July 2024
Please, no more contrived hand-wringing and pearl-clutching about the Trump dictatorship.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 July 2024
Since last Monday, when Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III had been diagnosed with cancer, the seventy-five-year-old monarch has been the subject of both hand-wringing concern and frenzied speculation.
—Anna Russell, The New Yorker, 12 Feb. 2024
Today, that hand-wringing delay has been nearly eliminated.
—Katie Palmer, STAT, 1 Dec. 2023
The combination of the new stadium, hand-wringing fans and — worst of all — disinterested indifference in the community has ripple effects beyond one locker room.
—Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Nov. 2023
Both episodes benefit from a curiosity about human nature that goes beyond hand-wringing monologues about our capacity for greed or complacency, and an affection for people in all our absurd and messy glory.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2023
For all the hand-wringing Kidd does about getting his team back together, Doncic has played in 57 of 69 games.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 14 Mar. 2023
The other involves hand-wringing and whining about their (purportedly) ruinous tax bills.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-wringing
Noun
-
Professor Ned Foley, the director of the election-law program at Ohio State University, told me that his biggest worry this year was a new deadline of December 16th.The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
-
Election seasons often evoke a mix of emotions, ranging from hope for the future to intense worry over what may come.Luciana Paulise, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
However, District 9 Councilmember Pam Foley, who represents the area where the hospital is located, declined to support the deferral request and echoed the concerns over how delays could negatively impact the community.Devan Patel, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
-
The company has extended its liquidation date to December 15, 2024, and management has raised concerns about the company's ability to continue as a going concern due to insufficient working capital and mandatory liquidation.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Psychiatric problems — marked anxiety or panic attacks progressing to temporary psychosis and even schizophrenia-like psychotic illness — are presenting more frequently in emergency rooms.Dr. Jerrold B. Leikin, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
-
Climate Denial as a Defense Mechanism Much like a terror management lab experiment – or the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic– natural disasters like hurricanes Helene and Milton trigger death anxiety.Discover Magazine, Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
The first bird of the day never fails to throw me into a panic.Jack O’Connor, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2024
-
But celebration turned to panic in Chiefs Kingdom as Mahomes went down awkwardly on the play with an apparent non-contact injury.Kevin Dotson, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
The silent anguish that Charles describes has dangerous real-world ramifications: After the death of a spouse, widowers experience higher rates of mortality, persistent depression, and social isolation than widows do.Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024
-
The plot is on the heavy side: The Innocents plays with the mental anguish of a person desperately trying to make sense of the world around them while simultaneously dealing with their own emotional turmoil.B.J. Colangelo, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Meanwhile, fears are growing that pressure to address the spiraling humanitarian crisis in Gaza will fade as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office.Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
-
The shame and fear from that policy linger on, even generations later.Josh Becker, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
When tensions ratchet up, the two countries quickly mend fences.Sungmin Cho, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
-
Interest rates might edge down a bit more in the coming weeks, but many consumers and business owners could hold back borrowing if postelection tension and uncertainty revs up.Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
In what’s widely seen as a sign of desperation, the junta announces mandatory conscription for all men between 18 and 35 years old and all women between 18 and 27.Koh Ewe, TIME, 1 Nov. 2024
-
And it is driven largely out of desperation on both sides of the relationship, analysts told NBC News.Matthew Bodner, NBC News, 30 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near hand-wringing
Cite this Entry
“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-wringing. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share