nail-biter
noun
nail-bit·er
ˈnāl-ˌbī-tər 
: something (such as a close contest) that induces tension or anxiety
Examples of nail-biter in a Sentence
a presidential election that was one of the great nail-biters of all time
Recent Examples on the Web
The plan looked genius early in the season, when the Giants were winning nail-biters, walking off games with Little League and inside-the-park home runs and Wilmer Flores’ clutch hitting.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
The final was a nail-biter, Slawson leading the entire heat until Herdy took a last-second wave, the surfers and crowd awaiting the score to drop.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 3 Aug. 2025
And the last two episodes are outright nail-biters.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2025
The two teams frequently find themselves in nail-biters, so that could continue here.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
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Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
The final was a nail-biter, Slawson leading the entire heat until Herdy took a last-second wave, the surfers and crowd awaiting the score to drop.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 3 Aug. 2025
And the last two episodes are outright nail-biters.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2025
The two teams frequently find themselves in nail-biters, so that could continue here.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nail-biter. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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