with bated breath

phrase

: in a nervous and excited state anticipating what will happen
They waited for the answer on their application with bated breath.

Examples of with bated breath in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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As the world waits with bated breath for official photographs from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s July 3 wedding—specifically of Swift’s custom Dior wedding dress—Jason Kelce is amazed that no photos have leaked from the big day. Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 31 July 2026 Inside look at the Three Lions As for England, a nation awaits with bated breath. Ben Church, CNN Money, 15 July 2026 The crowd atop the Hermosa Beach Pier watched with bated breath as a local fisherman, stripped down to his underwear and armed with only a pair of scissors, waded into the water in an attempt to free a juvenile great white shark. Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026 Traditionally, this dessert asks you to (1) swaddle hot cake in a kitchen towel; (2) roll, cool, and unroll it to set the shape; then (3) fill and reroll it with bated breath. Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for with bated breath

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Cite this Entry

“With bated breath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/with%20bated%20breath. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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