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
After starter Yu Darvish was pulled in the top of the sixth, standout relievers Jeremiah Estrada and Adrian Morejon stumbled in succession, turning a laugher into a bit of a nail-biter.
—
Dennis Lin, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
As spooky season approaches, there’s no better time than now to revisit these classic nail-biters—and revel in their impeccable period styling.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2025
In Sunday’s vote, the Peronists trounced Milei’s right-libertarian party by a staggering 47% to 34%, a far cry from the nail-biter that many pollsters had predicted.
—Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
The Dallas Cowboys dropped a 24-20 nail-biter to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL season opener Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Dennis Lin, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
As spooky season approaches, there’s no better time than now to revisit these classic nail-biters—and revel in their impeccable period styling.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 13 Sep. 2025
In Sunday’s vote, the Peronists trounced Milei’s right-libertarian party by a staggering 47% to 34%, a far cry from the nail-biter that many pollsters had predicted.
—Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
The Dallas Cowboys dropped a 24-20 nail-biter to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL season opener Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biter
thriller
Noun
-
The climactic sequence set aboard a military aircraft, with Ben facing off against the Hunters, would have been simpler in a Bruce Willis thriller, and more satisfying.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
11 Nov. 2025
-
German actor-writer-director Til Schweiger and Splitsville star Charlie Gillespie have jumped on board Contra, an underground chess thriller.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biter. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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