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
The eponymous characters of the wildly popular Netflix hit, played respectively by Antonia Gentry and Brianne Howey, left us on quite the cliff-hanger when season 2 concluded in January 2023.
—
Ali Pantony, Glamour, 6 June 2025
By the season finale cliff-hanger, Morgan’s boss, Lieutenant Selena Soto (Judy Reyes), and colleague, Detective Daphne Forrester (Javicia Leslie), have embraced her quirky methods — and manifest it by infusing more color and pattern into their officewear.
—Fawnia Soo Hoo, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 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
Of course, that’s no surprise to anyone who has seen Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which, No. 1, absolutely rocks, and, No. 2 (no spoilers), ends on quite the cliff-hanger.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025
Things go very, very wrong at a Valentine’s Day party, which leads to the most intense cliff-hanger of the series.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
Fans have been clamoring for the new season ever since the 3rd season ended with a cliff-hanger, with emotions running high between Brunson’s Janine and Williams’ Gregory characters.
—Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 4 Oct. 2024
Things go very, very wrong at a Valentine’s Day party, which leads to the most intense cliff-hanger of the series.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
For Coben, showrunner Victoria Asare-Archer and the cast, the challenge was to balance those nail-biting cliff-hangers with character development and relationships that viewers could relate to.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 1 Jan. 2025
Ali Pantony, Glamour, 6 June 2025
By the season finale cliff-hanger, Morgan’s boss, Lieutenant Selena Soto (Judy Reyes), and colleague, Detective Daphne Forrester (Javicia Leslie), have embraced her quirky methods — and manifest it by infusing more color and pattern into their officewear.
—Fawnia Soo Hoo, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 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
Of course, that’s no surprise to anyone who has seen Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which, No. 1, absolutely rocks, and, No. 2 (no spoilers), ends on quite the cliff-hanger.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025
Things go very, very wrong at a Valentine’s Day party, which leads to the most intense cliff-hanger of the series.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
Fans have been clamoring for the new season ever since the 3rd season ended with a cliff-hanger, with emotions running high between Brunson’s Janine and Williams’ Gregory characters.
—Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 4 Oct. 2024
Things go very, very wrong at a Valentine’s Day party, which leads to the most intense cliff-hanger of the series.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
For Coben, showrunner Victoria Asare-Archer and the cast, the challenge was to balance those nail-biting cliff-hangers with character development and relationships that viewers could relate to.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 1 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliff-hanger
thriller
Noun
-
Each movie will be 45-52 minutes in length and cover such genres as comedies and thrillers.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2025
-
Gaumont is known for producing Netflix’s thriller series Lupin, which premiered in January 2021, before the rules were in place.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cliff-hanger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cliff-hanger. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share