nail-biter
noun
nail-bit·er
ˈnāl-ˌbī-tər 
: something (such as a close contest) that induces tension or anxiety
Examples of nail-biter in a Sentence
a presidential election that was one of the great nail-biters of all time
Recent Examples on the Web
And the last two episodes are outright nail-biters.
—
Randy Myers, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2025
The two teams frequently find themselves in nail-biters, so that could continue here.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 30 July 2025
New York is fresh off their five-game winning streak being snapped, losing a 101-99 nail-biter to the Los Angeles Sparks.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
Locked in a nail-biter with just under two minutes to play, Taylor opted to heave a shot for the end zone.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
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Randy Myers, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2025
The two teams frequently find themselves in nail-biters, so that could continue here.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 30 July 2025
New York is fresh off their five-game winning streak being snapped, losing a 101-99 nail-biter to the Los Angeles Sparks.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
Locked in a nail-biter with just under two minutes to play, Taylor opted to heave a shot for the end zone.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nail-biter. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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