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
There's been thrillers, nail-biters, and a couple of upsets in the men's tournament.
—
Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is polling far behind his opposition rival heading into next month’s presidential election, but a glut of undecided voters could make the final results a nail-biter.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
The Best Actor race was a nail-biter right down to the final seconds.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2026
Frank Micelotta / Disney The race for best actor was one of the night’s true nail-biters.
—Rebecca Keegan, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
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.
Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is polling far behind his opposition rival heading into next month’s presidential election, but a glut of undecided voters could make the final results a nail-biter.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
The Best Actor race was a nail-biter right down to the final seconds.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2026
Frank Micelotta / Disney The race for best actor was one of the night’s true nail-biters.
—Rebecca Keegan, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026
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 25 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
