as in tense
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
for a couple of nail-biting moments we thought that we had actually won the mega lottery
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 nail-biting
There was a nail-biting overtime win, blowout victories both home and away, and moments of individual brilliance.
—
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 21 Feb. 2026
Perhaps most impressive is the comedy’s nail-biting opening scene, as Matt and Jay decide to stage a publicity stunt of them leaping from the top of Toronto’s 116-story CN Tower and skydiving into a major baseball stadium, all in a foolhardy attempt to promote the band.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
Greaney puts his characters into nail-biting jeopardy, only to pull them out — sometimes — but in realistic ways.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
This system promises to end nail-biting traffic congestion, delivering a rail-like capacity at bus-fare prices without the traditional cost or construction timelines.
—New Atlas, 17 Feb. 2026
There have been nail-biting moments in Italy.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
The Monégasque team, led by Valentin Vacherot, stunned Bublik and Alexander Shevchenko in a 3-1 win, with Hugo Nys and Romain Arneodo triumphing over Bublik and Beibit Zhukayev in a nail-biting doubles rubber.
—James Hansen, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Sometimes the stress of a nail-biting game calls for nervous munching.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
Everything seemed to go right for pro football last year, from notching a 10% year-over-year viewership gain to nail-biting finishes to the kind of unpredictability in team rankings that keeps fans glued to live telecasts and shelling out huge dollars to attend games.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 21 Feb. 2026
Perhaps most impressive is the comedy’s nail-biting opening scene, as Matt and Jay decide to stage a publicity stunt of them leaping from the top of Toronto’s 116-story CN Tower and skydiving into a major baseball stadium, all in a foolhardy attempt to promote the band.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
Greaney puts his characters into nail-biting jeopardy, only to pull them out — sometimes — but in realistic ways.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
This system promises to end nail-biting traffic congestion, delivering a rail-like capacity at bus-fare prices without the traditional cost or construction timelines.
—New Atlas, 17 Feb. 2026
There have been nail-biting moments in Italy.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
The Monégasque team, led by Valentin Vacherot, stunned Bublik and Alexander Shevchenko in a 3-1 win, with Hugo Nys and Romain Arneodo triumphing over Bublik and Beibit Zhukayev in a nail-biting doubles rubber.
—James Hansen, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Sometimes the stress of a nail-biting game calls for nervous munching.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2026
Everything seemed to go right for pro football last year, from notching a 10% year-over-year viewership gain to nail-biting finishes to the kind of unpredictability in team rankings that keeps fans glued to live telecasts and shelling out huge dollars to attend games.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biting
Adjective
-
Leadership sets the tone, and right now that tone feels tense and joyless.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2026
-
The tense talks continued into a second day but concluded without progress, in a diplomatic effort that seemed little more than another stalling game for Putin.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That has trading partners uneasy.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Now, marquee names like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo have gotten into the game, creating an uneasy juxtaposition as other players have bemoaned the effects of gambling and verbal assault from fans.—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Nell Tiger Free stars as a young novice who works at a Catholic orphanage plagued by mysterious, disturbing circumstances.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Feb. 2026
-
In an initial statement Wednesday, Blalock said the video is disturbing and the parents and families of these students should be embarrassed.—
Allie Hennard,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The series centers on a couple whose lives are upended after welcoming a seemingly ideal caregiver into their home, only to find boundaries blurred and control slipping as the arrangement spirals into a tense, unsettling power struggle.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Eighty or more minutes later at the end of the Agnus Dei, when the great plea for peace reaches its ultimate transcendence, up becomes, in one of the most profoundly unsettling moments in all music, down again.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
By Phillip Reese | KFF Health News After a grueling year of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation to treat breast cancer, Sadia Zapp was anxious — not the manageable hum that had long been part of her life, but something deeper, more distracting.—
KFF Health News,
Oc Register,
23 Feb. 2026
-
After a grueling year of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation to treat breast cancer, Sadia Zapp was anxious — not the manageable hum that had long been part of her life, but something deeper, more distracting.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Almonds, chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, chia, and flax are rich in magnesium and omega-3s, helping to support nervous-system and hormonal balance.—
Mélanie Defouilloy,
Vogue,
24 Feb. 2026
-
And to be perfectly fair, nervous gratuitous laughter at stupid jokes is not unknown among anyone, including the press corps.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Stella’s restless energy in wanting to fix things spurs her to arrange an impromptu trip for them to Amsterdam.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
But Weir appeared to roll with it, and the idea of writing new material with Furthur — his and Lesh’s project, without Hart or Kreutzmann, who weren’t invited — appealed to his restless creativity.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Following Kellou, a young woman who sees distressing visions of the past and future, the film is both a mystical parable and a metaphor-heavy narrative.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Even more distressing for the Knights is the program’s recent history of late-season collapses.—
Matt Murschel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biting. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
