as in thriller
something (as a close contest) that induces much suspense as to its outcome
a presidential election that was one of the great nail-biters of all time
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Recent Examples of nail-biter
The vote itself is a nail-biter among Colton, Lisa, and Ron — with Rob stuck with a real Sophie’s Choice.
—
Tom Smyth, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
Buffalo knocked off the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 27-24 nail-biter to reach the divisional round for a sixth straight year.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Wisconsin made adjustments in the second half to outscore the U 50-40 to win a nail-biter.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2026
What started as a blowout turned into a nail-biter.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Tom Smyth, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
Buffalo knocked off the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 27-24 nail-biter to reach the divisional round for a sixth straight year.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Wisconsin made adjustments in the second half to outscore the U 50-40 to win a nail-biter.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2026
What started as a blowout turned into a nail-biter.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biter
thriller
Noun
-
In the 1990s, historical dramas of scale were more familiar, same with a sexy thriller.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Thirty-five years ago, moviegoers gobbled up director Jonathan Demme‘s thriller that hit theaters in the dead of winter.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biter. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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