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 Fans have been clamoring for the new season ever since the 3rd season ended with a cliff-hanger, with emotions running high between Brunson’s Janine and Williams’ Gregory characters. Watch the trailer for the new season and look through the teaser pictures above. Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 4 Oct. 2024 To stay in the moment long enough to appreciate the feel of paper pages and a cliff-hanger chapter? Jackie Valley, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Sep. 2024 Noah Lyles’ performance in the men’s 100-meter sprint Sunday night was the race seen around the world – a cliff-hanger that came down to five-thousandths of a second. Ira Porter, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Aug. 2024 Advertisement Then, the race turned into a cliff-hanger. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024 Last week's episode ended on quite the cliff-hanger. Journal Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, the future of the region’s lone rail line is, literally, a cliff-hanger. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024 The episode ended on a cliff-hanger, with fans unsure of who receive Gerry's other rose. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023 When a species has reached the verge of extinction, recovery programs become awful, expensive cliff-hangers. Jared Diamond, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cliff-hanger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near cliff-hanger

Cite this Entry

“Cliff-hanger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cliff-hanger. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

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