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
The New Jersey natives (and Giants fans) whip through various photo setups and ask for the score even when the answer hurts (the Giants lost to the Broncos in a 33-32 nail-biter).
—
Andrea Lavinthal, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025
This is going to be a nail-biter come Tuesday.
—ABC News, 30 Nov. 2025
For the gym-goers and habitual nail-biters in your life, this is an essential gift.
—The Editors, Outside, 14 Nov. 2025
What the polls missed in NJ In New Jersey, the governor’s race was expected to be a nail-biter.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Andrea Lavinthal, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025
This is going to be a nail-biter come Tuesday.
—ABC News, 30 Nov. 2025
For the gym-goers and habitual nail-biters in your life, this is an essential gift.
—The Editors, Outside, 14 Nov. 2025
What the polls missed in NJ In New Jersey, the governor’s race was expected to be a nail-biter.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biter
thriller
Noun
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Kansas survived a Big 12 thriller 104-100.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
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The platform features content across multiple genres including romance, thriller, variety and fantasy, all subtitled in local languages.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biter. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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