as in thriller
something (as a close contest) that induces much suspense as to its outcome
a presidential election that was one of the great nail-biters of all time
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Recent Examples of nail-biter
In Sunday’s vote, the Peronists trounced Milei’s right-libertarian party by a staggering 47% to 34%, a far cry from the nail-biter that many pollsters had predicted.
—
Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
The Dallas Cowboys dropped a 24-20 nail-biter to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL season opener Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
Across major corn-growing states, climate change is fueling conditions that make watching the corn grow a nail-biter for farmers.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
Louisville-area football fans saw some blowouts and some nail-biters Friday night.
—Rich Barak, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025
The Dallas Cowboys dropped a 24-20 nail-biter to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL season opener Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2025
Across major corn-growing states, climate change is fueling conditions that make watching the corn grow a nail-biter for farmers.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
Louisville-area football fans saw some blowouts and some nail-biters Friday night.
—Rich Barak, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biter
thriller
Noun
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The unconventional thriller played like gangbusters to the buzzing New York crowd.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
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Variety can exclusively reveal a glamorous first look at the upcoming thriller series (see above) starring Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones as Jackie Price, an international drug smuggler turned art dealer who embarks on a journey for revenge.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biter. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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