as in thrillers
something (as a close contest) that induces much suspense as to its outcome
finally, a Super Bowl game that turned out to be a real cliff-hanger
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of cliff-hangers
The biggest key to the success of minidramas, though, is the cliff-hangers, which push viewers to keep paying for the next episode.
—
Yixuan Tan, NBC news, 17 Aug. 2025
Which means there are some major cliff-hangers to obsess over for the next few weeks.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
Yixuan Tan, NBC news, 17 Aug. 2025
Which means there are some major cliff-hangers to obsess over for the next few weeks.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliff-hangers
thrillers
Noun
-
There are the thrillers — take Good American Family, based upon the case of Natalia Grace; or Under the Banner of Heaven, a gripping exploration of a double murder and its connection to religion; or Under the Bridge, about the 1997 slaying of a 14-year-old girl.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Spy thrillers have often included characters with multiple passports to evoke drama and suspense.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cliff-hangers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cliff-hangers. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
