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
Frostad did so by nailing the nose butter — but with a physics-defying twist of his own — on all three of his jumps of a snowy freeskiing nail-biter on the big hill Tuesday night.
—
ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
The game was a rematch of an early-season thriller at the Garden City Classic, which Catholic Memorial (11-8) won in a 69-64 nail-biter.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2026
For those who rely on snow for their livelihoods, every ski season is a nail-biter.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 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
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
ABC News, 17 Feb. 2026
The game was a rematch of an early-season thriller at the Garden City Classic, which Catholic Memorial (11-8) won in a 69-64 nail-biter.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 16 Feb. 2026
For those who rely on snow for their livelihoods, every ski season is a nail-biter.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 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
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biter
thriller
Noun
-
This psychological thriller tells the story of Daniel (Laurie Davidson), who brings his girlfriend, Cherry (Olivia Cooke), home to meet his mother, Laura (Robin Wright), only for the two women to engage in a power struggle for the ages.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
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The movie starts like a typical military action thriller until a sci-fi element presents itself in an almost Trojan horse kind of way.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biter. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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