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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-wringing
Noun
-
Washington does not share this worry, Zelenskyy claimed.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
21 Jan. 2025
-
While markets often climb a wall of worry, this wall looks more like a cliff.—
Bob Haber,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Among them: a culture that didn't like to hear safety concerns from lower-level engineers.—
Doyle Rice,
USA TODAY,
28 Jan. 2025
-
And recently thousands of physicians and others in health care have signed onto letters echoing these concerns.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
28 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Participating in rituals and routine has been shown to provide solace against anxiety and grief.—
Christina Pérez,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2025
-
Kassan, who had struggled with anxiety and panic attacks before, said his mental health worsened in the years after selling his company.—
Ernestine Siu,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The forceful move propelled French exhibitors in a state of panic, but also led for negotiations to be re-launched.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2025
-
The cause of the panic remains unclear, but distressing scenes unfolded as families searched for missing relatives and rescuers aided the injured.—
Jonathan Granoff,
Newsweek,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
However, this child was left vulnerable...and [their parents] now faced the anguish of watching their child fight for their life on a ventilator.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
27 Jan. 2025
-
The football world felt the collective anguish of a fan base during Buffalo’s 13-seconds loss to Kansas City.—
Matthew Fairburn,
The Athletic,
25 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Letting go of the fear now serves as an unspoken theme of Chickahominy.—
Tricia Despres,
People.com,
23 Jan. 2025
-
The worker said colleagues were concerned about using social media or their phones, even personal ones, for fear they are being monitored or tapped.—
Suzanne Gamboa,
NBC News,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Inspired by the Italian gardens of Villa Farnese, each piece and plant were selected to create dramatic tension and visual interest.—
Dan Howarth,
Architectural Digest,
30 Jan. 2025
-
The most recent escalation, often referred to as the 'Gaza War' or 'Israel-Gaza conflict,' typically refers to the ongoing tensions and periodic outbreaks of violence between Israel and Palestinian groups, particularly Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Organized theft is no petty crime; these are not one-off crimes of desperation or a mom lifting a can of formula to feed her baby.—
Cailey Locklair,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Jan. 2025
-
That’s a Shawn Ryan [decision in the writing], and then my job is to act out that turmoil and choreograph the desperation and brutality.—
Max Gao,
The Hollywood Reporter,
25 Jan. 2025
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 2 Feb. 2025.
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