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
Popular culture parodies and hand-wringing headlines devalued this work by constructing influencers as glib and narcissistic.
—
Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
There was a fair bit of hand-wringing entering Tuesday’s contest about where or if Jeff Skinner fit into the equation.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
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
Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
There was a fair bit of hand-wringing entering Tuesday’s contest about where or if Jeff Skinner fit into the equation.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-wringing
Noun
-
Some Tesla shareholders have expressed worry about the situation.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Last Friday, James Bergeron, the acting under secretary at the Education Department, sent a letter to colleges attempting to allay their worries about the layoffs.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This can lead to an excess of sugar in the blood that, over time, can lead to a variety of health conditions and concerns.—
Alysse Dalessandro,
Health,
29 Mar. 2025
-
The January fire at one of the world's largest battery storage plants, the Vistra Energy lithium battery plant in northern California, highlighted safety concerns.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Recently announced job cuts at Johns Hopkins University, one of Maryland’s largest employers, and tens of thousands of others across the nation, however, are happening with an unsettling speed and efficiency, leaving countless workers in a state of anxiety, uncertainty and despair.—
Alan M. Langlieb,
Baltimore Sun,
31 Mar. 2025
-
They are marketed as an alternative for pain relief, anxiety, and sleep disorders.—
Steve Banker,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Winning either — or even narrowing the margin in districts the president won by more than 30 points less than five months ago — could help alleviate the panic that set in among party leaders after Republicans swept both houses of Congress and the presidency in November.—
Kate Payne,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Footage of the building rapidly crumbling showed residents and tourists in the area running in panic.—
Jenni Reid,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Hiding your anguish while pretending to be excited.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Her teammates surrounded her, doing their best to block her anguish from the view of nearby photographers, before trainers arrived to help her.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
By understanding where and when white sharks are most likely to be detected, researchers and policymakers can better communicate with the public about how to safely enjoy Maine’s beaches without unnecessary fear.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Sometimes they’re driven by fears of what’s to come.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
These artificial features have stoked tensions with the Philippines and partially fueled the U.S. defense treaty ally's plan to modernize its military over the next decade.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
-
The combined entity would aim to secure American access to mature chips amid potential risks from China competition and tensions between China and Taiwan, Nikkei reported.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Their primary motivation for entering tentative talks over Gomez was desperation, due to their need to comply with the Premier League’s PSR by June 30.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
The White House has responded with a series of stunts — a live presidential endorsement on the South Lawn, the commerce secretary shilling for Tesla stock on Fox News, the FBI threatening vandals with terrorism charges — that all smack of desperation.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-wringing. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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