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 Best Actor race was a nail-biter right down to the final seconds.
—
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2026
But winning fewer than 40% of those nail-biters is the stuff that can become a habit.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
Rosemount, which won its conference for the first time in 35 years and rarely won by less than double digits, beat Rochester Mayo 65-64 in the semifinals, a nail-biter that proved to be beneficial Saturday.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
The Heat made a desperate comeback attempt in the final minutes of the game, turning the blowout into a nail-biter.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2026
But winning fewer than 40% of those nail-biters is the stuff that can become a habit.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
Rosemount, which won its conference for the first time in 35 years and rarely won by less than double digits, beat Rochester Mayo 65-64 in the semifinals, a nail-biter that proved to be beneficial Saturday.
—Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
The Heat made a desperate comeback attempt in the final minutes of the game, turning the blowout into a nail-biter.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biter
thriller
Noun
-
March Madness Sweet Sixteen thriller that advances Duke to its 13th Elite Eight.—
Joe Davidson
March 27,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The film is a thriller, a spiritual journey and a tragic comedy, and includes flashbacks to Alighieri’s life (Isaac plays the poet as well).—
G. Allen Johnson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biter. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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