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
Not every movie needs to be a nail-biter, and not every plot needs to be engineered like a Maserati.
—
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2025
When the voters were counted, the margin was close, but not exactly a nail-biter.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 4 July 2025
This is a rare nail-biter for SDNY – far from a slam-dunk.
—Tracy Wright , Lauryn Overhultz , Maria Paronich , Brendan McDonald, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025
With Daya and Ginger advancing, the last nail-biter comes down to whether Denali or Cynthia will advance.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 27 June 2025
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.
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2025
When the voters were counted, the margin was close, but not exactly a nail-biter.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 4 July 2025
This is a rare nail-biter for SDNY – far from a slam-dunk.
—Tracy Wright , Lauryn Overhultz , Maria Paronich , Brendan McDonald, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025
With Daya and Ginger advancing, the last nail-biter comes down to whether Denali or Cynthia will advance.
—Chris Feil, Vulture, 27 June 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 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share