[wring] {one's} hands

to twist and rub one's hands together out of distress or worry

She wrung her hands in anxiety as she awaited the doctor's verdict.
The politician wrung his hands helplessly as the country's economy crumbled.
The prisoner wrung his hands in anticipation of his trial.
The farmer wrung his hands helplessly as his crops withered in the drought.
The child wrung his hands as he waited for his parents to pick him up from school.