as in thriller
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-hanger
Debora Cahn, creator and showrunner of the Netflix series, discusses season two’s cliff-hanger ending and the importance of highlighting the work of civil servants.
—
Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2025
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
All the elements are there, complete with potential cliff-hanger endings for each episode.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Last week's show ended on a cliff-hanger, as the result of the latest banishment ceremony was unknown going into the season finale.
—David Wysong, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
In a new trailer, released May 5, beloved characters return after Season 2's violent cliff-hanger.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 10 May 2025
Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2025
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
All the elements are there, complete with potential cliff-hanger endings for each episode.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Last week's show ended on a cliff-hanger, as the result of the latest banishment ceremony was unknown going into the season finale.
—David Wysong, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
In a new trailer, released May 5, beloved characters return after Season 2's violent cliff-hanger.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 10 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliff-hanger
thriller
Noun
-
His most recent work was 2023's Coup de Chance, a French romantic thriller that marked his 50th feature film and premiered at the Venice International Film Festival.—
Mekishana Pierre,
EW.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
In his newest film, political thriller The Wizard of the Kremlin, Law plays Russian President Vladimir Putin.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cliff-hanger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cliff-hanger. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share