How to Use nail-biter in a Sentence

nail-biter

noun
  • The final vote will be a nail-biter.
    — Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 30 June 2025
  • Not every matchup has been a nail-biter.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 June 2026
  • Each was a nail-biter that kept viewers on the edge of their seats.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 30 Jan. 2025
  • What started as a blowout turned into a nail-biter.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 6 Jan. 2026
  • The championship game was a nail-biter.
    — Theodore Tollefson, Twin Cities, 28 Feb. 2026
  • The red card changed the game from what appeared on track for an easy win to a nail-biter.
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
  • Livvy Dunne watched a nail-biter in Cincinnati!
    — Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
  • What was once a three-games-to-one rout has become a three-games-to-two nail-biter.
    — Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2023
  • This is going to be a nail-biter come Tuesday.
    — ABC News, 30 Nov. 2025
  • The thrilling, nail-biter of a series made this year’s win that much richer for him.
    — Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Bailey hears that theme from consumers who just aren’t in the mood for any more nail-biters.
    — Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2025
  • Ole Miss gave us another nail-biter.
    — Tim Rohan, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Even long-term nail-biters, or those whose nails are prone to breakage, tend to have success with growth.
    — Tori Crowther, Refinery29, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Louisville-area football fans saw some blowouts and some nail-biters Friday night.
    — Rich Barak, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Aug. 2025
  • Taylor appeared nervous in her suite during the nail-biter of a game.
    — Marina Watts, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025
  • This is when the tournament starts to become a real nail-biter.
    — Juliana Kim, NPR, 10 June 2026
  • For those who rely on snow for their livelihoods, every ski season is a nail-biter.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
  • The opening quarter was a nail-biter, with both programs trading runs.
    — Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 2026
  • Though successful, Odysseus' landing last week was a nail-biter.
    — Denise Chow, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2024
  • That the game turned into a nail-biter in the final five minutes shouldn’t have come as a surprise.
    — Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 15 Jan. 2024
  • Even the two teams' closest matchups during this tournament haven't been true nail-biters.
    — NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
  • But winning fewer than 40% of those nail-biters is the stuff that can become a habit.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
  • There's been thrillers, nail-biters, and a couple of upsets in the men's tournament.
    — Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
  • The Best Actor race was a nail-biter right down to the final seconds.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2026
  • The contest was a nail-biter the whole way, with no lead exceeding double digits.
    — Ryan Morik, Fox News, 8 Mar. 2025
  • The movie veers from character study and brother bonding to an action nail-biter.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 26 Apr. 2025
  • His nerves about reaching the falsetto at the end made watching his performance a nail-biter.
    — Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
  • When the voters were counted, the margin was close, but not exactly a nail-biter.
    — David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 4 July 2025
  • Although there have been hundreds of close calls and nail-biters, there have been some comebacks that feel like a movie come to life.
    — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
  • Once the second half started, Marshfield tried to grind the game back into a nail-biter.
    — Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nail-biter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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