as in tense
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
for a couple of nail-biting moments we thought that we had actually won the mega lottery
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Recent Examples of nail-biting
Everything seemed to go right for pro football last year, from notching a 10% year-over-year viewership gain to nail-biting finishes to the kind of unpredictability in team rankings that keeps fans glued to live telecasts and shelling out huge dollars to attend games.
—
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Great players certainly help, but Enfield has also proven an ability to coach SMU through some nail-biting finishes this season.
—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026
Essentially, their results have consisted of blowout losses and nail-biting wins.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
After the nail-biting reentry, Artemis II’s crew will splash down off the coast of San Diego, Calif.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 15 Jan. 2026
The lead-up to the courtroom trial, and the trial itself, is full of nail-biting turns.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
Cue some serious nail-biting inside 1925 Giants Drive.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026
Despite the nail-biting finish, Mizzou did lead by double-digits at one point, jumping to a 10-point advantage in the second half.
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 4 Jan. 2026
On Beaches, fear of Garry Marshall's big screen close-up of my hands on the piano cured me of nail-biting, and now Rob stopped my pot-smoking — all my bad habits were eradicated by America’s leading comedy film directors.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 29 Dec. 2025
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Great players certainly help, but Enfield has also proven an ability to coach SMU through some nail-biting finishes this season.
—Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 26 Jan. 2026
Essentially, their results have consisted of blowout losses and nail-biting wins.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
After the nail-biting reentry, Artemis II’s crew will splash down off the coast of San Diego, Calif.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 15 Jan. 2026
The lead-up to the courtroom trial, and the trial itself, is full of nail-biting turns.
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
Cue some serious nail-biting inside 1925 Giants Drive.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026
Despite the nail-biting finish, Mizzou did lead by double-digits at one point, jumping to a 10-point advantage in the second half.
—Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 4 Jan. 2026
On Beaches, fear of Garry Marshall's big screen close-up of my hands on the piano cured me of nail-biting, and now Rob stopped my pot-smoking — all my bad habits were eradicated by America’s leading comedy film directors.
—Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 29 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biting
Adjective
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Tempers flared during a recent pair of NBA games, and both contests were marred by tense clashes between players.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Unnervingly tense, Ringu still holds up today as a watch-between-your-fingers favorite.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Chalk the moves up to uneasy investors.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Kelly and King shake things up around the half-hour mark by venturing into the real world, where Grace (Cristin Milioti), the mother of two boys unusually far apart in age, starts being overcome by uneasy feelings about a cold dark void.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Some of those revelations are deeply disturbing.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
-
These disturbing images raise even more questions about Epstein and his relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
If the devoted nun resembles the raving patient, does that not justify locking them away, protecting ourselves from their unsettling power?—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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One of the many unsettling images to emerge from the recent ICE surge in Minneapolis was that of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, in his blue bunny hat, standing in the January cold with the hand of a federal officer gripping his Spider-Man backpack.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Flat, calm but earnest, mildly anxious, blunted, volatile.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Times of Troy survey After an anxious few weeks for Trojan fans, USC finally has its next defensive coordinator.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
New York — A nervous mood swept through markets Tuesday as stocks stumbled and bitcoin hit its lowest level since November 2024.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Glasser was still nervous (as if a last-minute, late-night trip to Staples wasn’t enough to wear on her nerves).—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Both going and staying are restless states.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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Better sleep improves mood, focus, recovery and overall health, making exercise a powerful solution for restless nights.—
Fred Sassani,
Austin American Statesman,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Seed is a game-changer that can significantly reduce distressing symptoms, such as stomach pain and bloating.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
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Denim trends returned to bold washes, distressing and embellishments at Milan Fashion Week Men’s.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biting. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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