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
Coming off a win in Friday’s nail-biter, Brasher and Cruz clinched a 15-10 win in set one off a late surge, finishing on a 6-1 run.
—
Ava Dicecca,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
The game was a nail-biter, with the Knicks trailing the Spurs by nearly 30 points at the first half, only to come back in the second half and win in the last minute of the game by one point.
—
Marina Watts,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Not every matchup has been a nail-biter.
—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 June 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Ava Dicecca,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
The game was a nail-biter, with the Knicks trailing the Spurs by nearly 30 points at the first half, only to come back in the second half and win in the last minute of the game by one point.
—
Marina Watts,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
Not every matchup has been a nail-biter.
—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 June 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biter
thriller
Noun
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Readers can’t seem to get enough of thrillers and mysteries, and there’s no shortage of writers eager to deliver them.
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Obsession, the blockbuster horror thriller starring Inde Navarrette and Michael Johnston, hit another major box office milestone over the weekend.
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biter. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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