cliff-hanger

noun

cliff-hang·​er ˈklif-ˌhaŋ-ər How to pronounce cliff-hanger (audio)
1
: an adventure serial or melodrama
especially : one presented in installments each ending in suspense
2
: a contest whose outcome is in doubt up to the very end
broadly : a suspenseful situation
cliff-hanging adjective

Examples of cliff-hanger in a Sentence

finally, a Super Bowl game that turned out to be a real cliff-hanger
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Debora Cahn, creator and showrunner of the Netflix series, discusses season two’s cliff-hanger ending and the importance of highlighting the work of civil servants. Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2025 Each show, reminiscent of a telenovela, is divided into dozens of chapters, each about two minutes long and with all the soapy elements: cheesy romance, over-the-top drama and abundant cliff-hangers. Yixuan Tan, NBC news, 17 Aug. 2025 Which means there are some major cliff-hangers to obsess over for the next few weeks. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025 All the elements are there, complete with potential cliff-hanger endings for each episode. Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025 Last week's show ended on a cliff-hanger, as the result of the latest banishment ceremony was unknown going into the season finale. David Wysong, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 The eponymous characters of the wildly popular Netflix hit, played respectively by Antonia Gentry and Brianne Howey, left us on quite the cliff-hanger when season 2 concluded in January 2023. Ali Pantony, Glamour, 6 June 2025 By the season finale cliff-hanger, Morgan’s boss, Lieutenant Selena Soto (Judy Reyes), and colleague, Detective Daphne Forrester (Javicia Leslie), have embraced her quirky methods — and manifest it by infusing more color and pattern into their officewear. Fawnia Soo Hoo, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2025 In a new trailer, released May 5, beloved characters return after Season 2's violent cliff-hanger. Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 10 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1931, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cliff-hanger was circa 1931

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cliff-hanger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cliff-hanger. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.

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