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
Ole Miss gave us another nail-biter.
—
Tim Rohan, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
There's been thrillers, nail-biters, and a couple of upsets in the men's tournament.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is polling far behind his opposition rival heading into next month’s presidential election, but a glut of undecided voters could make the final results a nail-biter.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
The Best Actor race was a nail-biter right down to the final seconds.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Tim Rohan, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026
There's been thrillers, nail-biters, and a couple of upsets in the men's tournament.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is polling far behind his opposition rival heading into next month’s presidential election, but a glut of undecided voters could make the final results a nail-biter.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
The Best Actor race was a nail-biter right down to the final seconds.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biter
thriller
Noun
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Ford’s airtight thriller marks some of the finest work done by those on either side of the camera, blending breathless thrills and effortless character work.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
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In 2025, the author partnered with Reese Witherspoon to co-write the thriller Gone Before Goodbye, set to be released in paperback in 2026.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biter. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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