nail-biter

noun

nail-bit·​er ˈnāl-ˌbī-tər How to pronounce nail-biter (audio)
: something (such as a close contest) that induces tension or anxiety
nail-biting adjective

Examples of nail-biter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Republicans have won the state ever since – with no recent contest coming closer than Trump’s nail-biter of a win over Biden, 49.9%-48.6%, in North Carolina four years ago. Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 Though successful, Odysseus' landing last week was a nail-biter. Denise Chow, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2024 The Highlanders survived another nail-biter for a 47-44 victory over Sage Hill in the CIF-SS Division 3AA quarterfinals on Tuesday night at Sage Hill High. David Delgado, Orange County Register, 14 Feb. 2024 When the Kansas City Chiefs scored the winning touchdown during a historic overtime nail-biter at the Super Bowl on Sunday, viewers were on the edge of their seats — including none other than SpongeBob Squarepants and his best friend, Patrick Star. Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2024 Terry Bradshaw tossed a total of six touchdown passes and won each game’s MVP award in victories over the Cowboys and Los Angels Rams. San Francisco 49ers, 1988, 1989, Super Bowls XXIII, XIV: Coach Bill Walsh’s 49ers won a nail-biter against the Cincinnati Bengals. Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2024 Swift watched the Kansas City Chiefs repeat as Super Bowl champions in a nail-biter that culminated in a 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in overtime. Angela Yang, NBC News, 12 Feb. 2024 James Mangold, who also directed 2013's The Wolverine, keeps a tight rein on this nail-biter by making his heroes human and not impenetrable to the ravages of time. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 21 Jan. 2024 That’s true, mostly: the Democrats lost the House in 2022, and 2020 was a nail-biter. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nail-biter.' 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

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nail-biter was in 1950

Dictionary Entries Near nail-biter

Cite this Entry

“Nail-biter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nail-biter. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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