as in tense
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
for a couple of nail-biting moments we thought that we had actually won the mega lottery
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biting
Adjective
-
Negotiations on this year’s New York City government budget are coming down to the wire — with several sticking points remaining as talks turned tense Thursday between City Council Democrats and Mayor Adams’ administration, according to sources familiar with the matter.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
26 June 2025 -
At the core of Athens’ defense spending motivations is its tense and fractious relationship with fellow NATO ally Turkey.—
Sophie Kiderlin,
CNBC,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
Edan Lui of Hong Kong boy band Mirror will also make his Korean drama debut in the new season, joining the cast in a role that pairs him in an uneasy alliance with Kim Do-gi.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2025
-
Repeatedly returning to themes of globalization and alienation, the 55-year-old director has meticulously chronicled his country’s uneasy plunge into the 21st century as rampant industrialization risks deadening those left behind.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
In demand filmmaker Kim Tae-joon, who wrote and directed the disturbing tech thriller Unlocked for the streamer, is back with another feature that is sure to linger with its audience.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 July 2025
-
Many of these videos follow a disturbing but familiar pattern—the extraction and erasure of Black women’s genius, creativity, and contributions.—
Janice Gassam Asare,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
The other shoe dropped with an unsettling thud recently when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt openly gay-bashed in defense of her controversial boss.—
Louis Balsamo,
Baltimore Sun,
25 June 2025
-
Some messages were sweet, others were steamy, and some were even unsettling.—
Cathy Hackl,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
But perhaps the most persuasive testimony came from Mrs. Hall herself, who embodied the defense’s portrait of a loyal, unsuspecting wife, home alone and anxious over her husband’s mysterious disappearance.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
27 June 2025
-
Other dogs, especially those that are anxious or suffer from separation anxiety, might find comfort in your scent.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
But with Wirtz, there was suddenly an effort not to do that; the media got nervous about calling it a record.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
Watching his son evolve from a 4-star recruit out of Columbus High School in Miami to an eventual first-round pick out of Michigan State, Richardson doesn’t get too nervous or overly excited when Jase is on the court.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
Joya was restless, not just her eyes but all of her.—
Jhumpa Lahiri,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
-
But there’s also a fine line between being restless and being reckless, especially as their own record and the ups and downs of others clarify the landscape.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Although Gi-hun wants to save as many people as possible, he’s forced to continue playing the remaining games, including a terrifying round of double Dutch involving the creepy giant dolls.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
-
As the creepy trailer begins, the deserted ghost town is put on full display.—
Liza Esquibias,
People.com,
27 June 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biting. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share