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
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
And for all the hand-wringing that this game provided — with the possible loss of NBA Draft lottery odds should the Warriors win on Friday — to have seen genius once again is something that cannot be taken for granted.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 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
There’s been a fair bit of hand-wringing in college basketball circles about the lack of Cinderella stories in this year’s NCAA men’s tournament.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
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
And for all the hand-wringing that this game provided — with the possible loss of NBA Draft lottery odds should the Warriors win on Friday — to have seen genius once again is something that cannot be taken for granted.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 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
There’s been a fair bit of hand-wringing in college basketball circles about the lack of Cinderella stories in this year’s NCAA men’s tournament.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-wringing
Noun
-
Another reasonable worry is energy.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
14 May 2026
-
With one less worry – a safe home – Denise can now imagine a future for her family.—
Jayme Fraser,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The league could soon be split into two conferences, or multiple divisions, with a schedule designed to maximize rivalries and limit any travel concerns that might come with a larger footprint.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
The elevator is expected to be out of service until next winter while it is being replaced, and accessibility advocates said the move raises concerns about transit equity.—
Megan De Mar,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Already millions of school-age kids take in-person piano lessons, not to become the next Carnegie Hall virtuoso but for the lifelong benefits of playing music, from boosting creativity to soothing anxiety and depression.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
24 May 2026
-
Polling has shown that Russians find internet regulation to be the leading cause of anxiety—even more so than Ukrainian drone attacks.—
Natasha Lindstaedt,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Armour hooks my arm, and the panic abates.—
Adam Erace,
Fortune,
24 May 2026
-
In the span of 2 minutes, 7 seconds, the Golden Knights turned what was expected to be a night of joyous relief into full-scale panic and disappointment.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
The phrase, which was apparently started by Vegas assistant coach John Stevens, refers to the pain suffered by blocking a shot compared to the anguish felt when a puck sails by the defender and into the net.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
-
Annah’s resulting anguish is so uncomfortable for the others, that Ibrahim and Jacques practically come to blows.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Carbajal isn’t the only business owner who says fear of immigration agents kept customers home.—
Jack O'Connor,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
The dramatic raid deepens fears over Turkey’s eroding democracy, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government faces accusations of weaponizing courts against the CHP ahead of future elections.—
Cinar Kiper,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
His life is both ordinary and extraordinary, and the storytelling holds those seeming opposites in pleasing tension.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
-
The capital flows leaving Korea reflect ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which are driving safe-haven demand.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
The trend speaks to the desperation faced by Indians in the world’s largest democracy and stand in stark contrast to the powerful and robust image that Modi is trying to project on the world stage.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
22 May 2026
-
When Guardiola joined City in 2016, there was widespread resistance to his ways, almost a desperation to prove that his quick passing football could never work on these shores.—
Jessica Hopkins,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-wringing. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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