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
With Daya and Ginger advancing, the last nail-biter comes down to whether Denali or Cynthia will advance.
—
Chris Feil, Vulture, 27 June 2025
New Yorkers are braving the heat to cast their ballots in Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary election, which is set to be a nail-biter between Democratic Socialist state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 24 June 2025
Both as high-intensity nail-biter and sharp political allegory, the 2002 feature remains among the most influential horror of the 21st century.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
Those fans thirsting for the Cubs team that slugged its way to wins earlier in the season have had to settle for low-scoring nail-biters lately.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
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Chris Feil, Vulture, 27 June 2025
New Yorkers are braving the heat to cast their ballots in Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary election, which is set to be a nail-biter between Democratic Socialist state Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 24 June 2025
Both as high-intensity nail-biter and sharp political allegory, the 2002 feature remains among the most influential horror of the 21st century.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
Those fans thirsting for the Cubs team that slugged its way to wins earlier in the season have had to settle for low-scoring nail-biters lately.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 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 2 Jul. 2025.
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