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
The intense match was filled with nail-biting and exhilarating moments as celebrities and fans watched the action go down at Dodger Stadium.
—
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
And the Carolina Panthers (4-4) and the Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) each pulled off nail-biting fourth-quarter come-from-behind wins against the Dolphins in wins the defense gift-wrapped its opponents.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
Landing anything on the moon isn’t easy, as demonstrated by Apollo 11’s nail-biting touchdown, in which the Lunar Module Eagle overshot the landing site leaving only minutes of fuel to find a safe landing spot, as well as by recent Athena mission overturned landings.
—Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 23 Oct. 2025
And while Powell needed approval, so did helmer Wright, recalling the nail-biting experience of sending over a first draft of the script he co-wrote with Michael Bacall.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2025
The Southwest Classic resembles that matchup in some ways, though the Razorbacks may struggle to mount the same scoreline against an Aggies roster that appears to have learnt some lessons since that nail-biting win.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
This is also Detroit’s second straight season losing in a nail-biting ALDS Game 5, both times with Skubal on the mound.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
This is nail-biting stuff, agonizing to sit through.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Sometimes the stress of a nail-biting game calls for nervous munching.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
And the Carolina Panthers (4-4) and the Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) each pulled off nail-biting fourth-quarter come-from-behind wins against the Dolphins in wins the defense gift-wrapped its opponents.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2025
Landing anything on the moon isn’t easy, as demonstrated by Apollo 11’s nail-biting touchdown, in which the Lunar Module Eagle overshot the landing site leaving only minutes of fuel to find a safe landing spot, as well as by recent Athena mission overturned landings.
—Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 23 Oct. 2025
And while Powell needed approval, so did helmer Wright, recalling the nail-biting experience of sending over a first draft of the script he co-wrote with Michael Bacall.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2025
The Southwest Classic resembles that matchup in some ways, though the Razorbacks may struggle to mount the same scoreline against an Aggies roster that appears to have learnt some lessons since that nail-biting win.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
This is also Detroit’s second straight season losing in a nail-biting ALDS Game 5, both times with Skubal on the mound.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
This is nail-biting stuff, agonizing to sit through.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Sometimes the stress of a nail-biting game calls for nervous munching.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biting
Adjective
-
The dramatic incident comes during an already tense period in aviation, with significant delays and staffing shortages due to the government shutdown.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Her boyfriend left the party early, and things were tense between them afterward.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Across its run, The Witcher has traced the uneasy bond between Geralt of Rivia (Liam Hemsworth), the monster hunter bound by destiny; Ciri (Freya Allan), the princess whose power could save or destroy worlds; and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), the sorceress torn between ambition and love.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
-
In the Odyssey, Homer depicts Helen and Menelaus’s reunion as uneasy and sometimes tearful, after years of estrangement.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
With 31 percent of adults and 80 percent of adolescents not meeting recommended levels of physical activity, researchers have unveiled a disturbing glimpse of what the long-term impacts on our health and appearance could look like.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The film follows his lead, constructing a near-relentless study of misery that culminates in a disturbing finale.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Rather, the Lamb baby is literally the face of a lamb and the body of a human child, which is unsettling in a wholly novel way.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The problem is that among the general public, the optics are unsettling.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Redirect their attention If your dog is anxious and barking in a panic, your first step is to remove them from the trigger.—
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Late nights and anxious supplications.—
Steve Rushin,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The dogs' job on marathon day will be to calm race-day jitters at the starting line, where runners can feel overwhelmed or nervous about the trek ahead.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
There was a lot of nervous smiling.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
While some dog owners struggle with restless nights due to snoring or space-hogging canines, others, like the creator of this video, find joy and comfort in the company.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
After several nights of restless sleep, the man’s patience finally ran out.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Six-year-old Jin-seung (Moon Woo-bin) is having trouble fitting in with his adoptive parents (Shim Hye-jin and Kim Jin-geun) — a state of affairs that grows more distressing with the birth of a new baby.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Adult death is always strangely humiliating but this was something more, conceptually distressing, theoretically immoderate, elaborately unkind.—
Joy Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biting. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share