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
Despite one spectacular, pulse-pounding aerial sequence that will take your breath away near the finale, and a brilliant, hand-wringing scene underwater in a sunken submarine, the eighth and perhaps final entry in a franchise that has provided a bounty of escapist thrills is a shrug of a movie.
—
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 19 May 2025
Huang’s unapologetic stance on AI is bracing in its way, especially in contrast with the public hand-wringing of many AI chieftains, fretting about the dangers of their LLMs while continuing to develop them.
—James Surowiecki, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
The latest round of hand-wringing on AI was set off last week when Alibaba’s co-founder said the rush to erect new facilities is getting ahead of demand for AI services.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025
Ironically, the film is tracking rather nicely for a March release despite all the hand-wringing and hubbub, with Snow White likely debuting at $50 million to $56 million domestically, according to a leading tracking service.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025
There's obviously been a lot of hand-wringing over how Democrats treated the State of the Union address.
—ABC News, 9 Mar. 2025
When it was published a few years ago in The Believer, the essay prompted much hand-wringing about AI and creativity, separating the collaborationists from the resistance.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 3 Mar. 2025
Throw in concerns about youth crime, and the hand-wringing becomes positively deafening.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2025
There was the usual hand-wringing about a lack of commercially minded movies on the slate, and a dearth of big sales.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 3 Feb. 2025
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 19 May 2025
Huang’s unapologetic stance on AI is bracing in its way, especially in contrast with the public hand-wringing of many AI chieftains, fretting about the dangers of their LLMs while continuing to develop them.
—James Surowiecki, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
The latest round of hand-wringing on AI was set off last week when Alibaba’s co-founder said the rush to erect new facilities is getting ahead of demand for AI services.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025
Ironically, the film is tracking rather nicely for a March release despite all the hand-wringing and hubbub, with Snow White likely debuting at $50 million to $56 million domestically, according to a leading tracking service.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2025
There's obviously been a lot of hand-wringing over how Democrats treated the State of the Union address.
—ABC News, 9 Mar. 2025
When it was published a few years ago in The Believer, the essay prompted much hand-wringing about AI and creativity, separating the collaborationists from the resistance.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 3 Mar. 2025
Throw in concerns about youth crime, and the hand-wringing becomes positively deafening.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2025
There was the usual hand-wringing about a lack of commercially minded movies on the slate, and a dearth of big sales.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 3 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hand-wringing
Noun
-
The letter is a sign of growing ties between religious and AI safety groups, which share some of the same worries.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
21 May 2025
-
But for Americans on the Gulf or Atlantic coasts, the daily weather forecast always comes with a constant thrum of worry — any small disturbance in the Atlantic has the potential to evolve into a major storm.—
Sabrina B. Valenti,
Sun Sentinel,
20 May 2025
Noun
-
Many of his followers are schoolboys — something that has sparked concern among educators worldwide.—
Willem Marx,
NPR,
28 May 2025
-
While the insurance industry is not opposed to a study, the way this legislation is structured raises serious concerns.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
Giving into your kids to avoid your own feelings of stress and anxiety does more harm than good in the long run, says bestselling author and personal growth expert Mel Robbins.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
30 May 2025
-
More than 6 million have a parent with both a substance use disorder and significant symptoms of depression, anxiety or both.—
Ty Schepis,
The Conversation,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
Advocacy organizations that defend immigrant rights such as the Rural & Migrant Ministry and the Finger Lakes Rapid Response Network have held workshops to teach immigrants about their legal rights and to discourage them from spreading panic with unverified reports.—
Ana Ley,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
The eight-episode whodunit, from Shonda Rhimes’ production company, Shondaland, is set in the halls of the White House, where the death of one of its East Wing employees during a state dinner party triggers panic.—
Daron James,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
The victim’s scream of anguish is captured in the video.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
26 May 2025
-
Rite of Spring is the Pièce de resistance of the exhibition and features a mass of writhing bodies morphing into each other, women giving birth, androgynous figures and figures with expressions of anguish.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
Some of this fear is rooted in social comparison, but much of it is tied to daily concerns about funding retirement accounts and covering child care costs.—
Eliza Brooke,
Vox,
23 May 2025
-
The original policy sought to restrict ICE enforcement in sensitive locations, including courtrooms, to ensure that individuals could access vital services without fear of detention.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
Almost every organization has a version of this tension.—
Talie Smith,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
Bring Her Back is still a messy endeavor, even with what feels like a newfound discipline, not to mention a superior grasp of pacing and catch-release tension, happening behind the camera.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
Though the film doesn’t have an outwardly strong political message, it’s set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, adding an extra layer of desperation to O’Connor’s character.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
23 May 2025
-
And to think, that breakout had come entirely out of desperation for pitching depth.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hand-wringing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hand-wringing. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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