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
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Recent Examples of nail-biting
Here’s everything to know about the nail-biting conclusion of Netflix’s Man on Fire.
—
Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
The good ingredients of a nail-biting drama are, indeed, instantly laid out in the first episode.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
The secret nearly allows Echo to win, but the next day in a nail-biting finish, Liquid defeated the last boss after 474 attempts, securing its place as the best guild in the world.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Minutes before, a six-minute communications blackout with mission controllers made for a nail-biting finish to the mission as the capsule plunged through Earth’s atmosphere.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 11 Apr. 2026
Mizzou earned a nail-biting 89-84 victory over Southeast Missouri in its home opener.
—Joseph Pastilha, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2026
The fans had to endure nail-biting conclusions in away victories over Manchester United in August, Everton in December, and Bournemouth and Chelsea in January (in the Carabao Cup).
—Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Fellow contenders include Josh Safdie's nail-biting collab with Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme, and Joachim Trier's poignant family tale, Sentimental Value, which each earned nine nods, while Chloé Zhao's heartbreaking Hamnet followed with eight.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
But the auctioning of legendary guitars brought the most money — and swear-inducing, nail-biting stress — to the event.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2026
Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 2 May 2026
The good ingredients of a nail-biting drama are, indeed, instantly laid out in the first episode.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 24 Apr. 2026
The secret nearly allows Echo to win, but the next day in a nail-biting finish, Liquid defeated the last boss after 474 attempts, securing its place as the best guild in the world.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Minutes before, a six-minute communications blackout with mission controllers made for a nail-biting finish to the mission as the capsule plunged through Earth’s atmosphere.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 11 Apr. 2026
Mizzou earned a nail-biting 89-84 victory over Southeast Missouri in its home opener.
—Joseph Pastilha, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2026
The fans had to endure nail-biting conclusions in away victories over Manchester United in August, Everton in December, and Bournemouth and Chelsea in January (in the Carabao Cup).
—Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Fellow contenders include Josh Safdie's nail-biting collab with Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme, and Joachim Trier's poignant family tale, Sentimental Value, which each earned nine nods, while Chloé Zhao's heartbreaking Hamnet followed with eight.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
But the auctioning of legendary guitars brought the most money — and swear-inducing, nail-biting stress — to the event.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biting
Adjective
-
The Lancers beat Crossroads in a tense five-set match, 25-23, 25-15, 17-25, 23-25, 15-7, in the Division 4 semifinals Saturday night at Sunny Hills High.—
David Delgado,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
-
The book tells the true story of a Japanese spy and the Navy counterintelligence agent determined to stop him in the tense lead-up to the attack on Pearl Harbor.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
This return to record highs means 401(k)s, individual retirement accounts and stock portfolios that track benchmark US stock indexes recovered after an uneasy few weeks.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
-
So as the series shifts back to Kia Center, the Magic find themselves in a position that is both familiar and uneasy.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Fetish camboy Aaron Eagle (Kieron Moore) agrees to spend the night with an anonymous client, only to discover a disturbing tie to his past.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
10 May 2026
-
In the spring of 2018, federal prosecutors arrested both Raniere and Mack (along with four other individuals) and leveled disturbing accusations against the pair.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Freida has a rare ability to draw readers – and viewers – into an unsettling sense of comfort, before brilliantly pulling the rug from under them.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
-
Freida has a rare ability to draw readers — and viewers — into an unsettling sense of comfort, before brilliantly pulling the rug from under them.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Speech is converted to text, processed by a language model, and passed through a personality layer designed to mimic C-3PO’s formal, anxious tone.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
4 May 2026
-
The sixth Kathy is an anxious traveler.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
In the draft room, Bisciotti looked nervous as the pick approached, worried another team — or even his own GM — might snag Randall.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Some nervous Democrats and their allies worry that language could thwart installation of a Democratic majority in the next Congress.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But Tom Peter, the mastermind behind the Lismore, Australia five-piece, is restless enough to have churned out three full-length records in just over a year, generally adopting the stance that demos and final takes are one in the same.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
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Satisfaction and silverware lie that way, but the natives at Villa Park are extremely restless, and Spurs’ 2-1 win there last night could have a huge bearing on the Premier League’s relegation battle.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Her fiction has long been characterized by gruesome imagery and body horror, often sustained by characters whose psychological torment proves even more distressing than their physical conditions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
-
Most of the film’s other resemblances, of which there are many, prove less distressing.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biting. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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