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
Recent Examples on the Web
The unique nail-biter takes place in the shadows of L.A.’s homeless camps, run-down motels and dark alleys, following women who have turned — for various reasons — to a life of crime.
—
Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Though many Kennedys have previously praised Biden, their decision to formally endorse him as a unit deals a heavy blow to RFK Jr.'s independent presidential campaign, which has unnerved Democrats in a nail-biter of an election year.
—Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
Guy Ritchie, though, does a much more stimulating job with this nail-biter about a secret wartime operation.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
In addition to being a great family comedy movie, Jumanji is also a real nail-biter.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
The abrupt cut-away from the broadcast had some X users comparing to the infamous moment in 1968 when NBC jumped from a nail-biter New York Jets/Oakland Raiders football game to switch to children’s movie Heidi.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Apr. 2024
Ralph Nader, a Green Party candidate, siphoned votes away from Vice President Al Gore in the nail-biter 2000 presidential race against George W. Bush.
—Rebecca Davis O’Brien, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Even the two teams' closest matchups during this tournament haven't been true nail-biters.
—NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
His nerves about reaching the falsetto at the end made watching his performance a nail-biter.
—Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Though many Kennedys have previously praised Biden, their decision to formally endorse him as a unit deals a heavy blow to RFK Jr.'s independent presidential campaign, which has unnerved Democrats in a nail-biter of an election year.
—Kyler Alvord, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
Guy Ritchie, though, does a much more stimulating job with this nail-biter about a secret wartime operation.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
In addition to being a great family comedy movie, Jumanji is also a real nail-biter.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
The abrupt cut-away from the broadcast had some X users comparing to the infamous moment in 1968 when NBC jumped from a nail-biter New York Jets/Oakland Raiders football game to switch to children’s movie Heidi.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Apr. 2024
Ralph Nader, a Green Party candidate, siphoned votes away from Vice President Al Gore in the nail-biter 2000 presidential race against George W. Bush.
—Rebecca Davis O’Brien, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Even the two teams' closest matchups during this tournament haven't been true nail-biters.
—NBC News, 9 Apr. 2024
His nerves about reaching the falsetto at the end made watching his performance a nail-biter.
—Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 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.
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 26 Apr. 2024.
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