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
The Packers head into their bye week after a nail-biting 40-40 draw with the Cowboys in Week 4.
—
The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
From nail-biting quick-fire challenges to high-stakes elimination rounds like the show’s signature Restaurant Wars, the judges of Top Chef eat well during filming.
—Karla Walsh, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2025
But in between nail-biting set pieces, Harlin intercuts flashbacks that shed light on a couple of the Strangers, specifically the childhoods of Scarecrow and Pin-Up Girl.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
These appeals largely fell on deaf ears, however, with most Americans more focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and nail-biting 2020 elections than a conflict few had any understanding of.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2025
Bahrain’s Formula 1 track—known for long straights and tight corners that encourage nail-biting overtaking—held its first race two decades ago.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 20 Sep. 2025
In a nail-biting moment, the committee nearly voted to recommend that states and local jurisdictions require prescriptions for COVID-19 vaccines.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
The nail-biting psychological reality competition sees 24 strangers arrive at the remote castle, all in the hopes of winning up to €50,000 (around $58,700).
—Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 14 Sep. 2025
The Cincinnati Bengals came away with a nail-biting Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns, emerging with a 17-16 victory thanks to the Browns missing both an extra point and a 36-yard field goal.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
From nail-biting quick-fire challenges to high-stakes elimination rounds like the show’s signature Restaurant Wars, the judges of Top Chef eat well during filming.
—Karla Walsh, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2025
But in between nail-biting set pieces, Harlin intercuts flashbacks that shed light on a couple of the Strangers, specifically the childhoods of Scarecrow and Pin-Up Girl.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2025
These appeals largely fell on deaf ears, however, with most Americans more focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and nail-biting 2020 elections than a conflict few had any understanding of.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2025
Bahrain’s Formula 1 track—known for long straights and tight corners that encourage nail-biting overtaking—held its first race two decades ago.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 20 Sep. 2025
In a nail-biting moment, the committee nearly voted to recommend that states and local jurisdictions require prescriptions for COVID-19 vaccines.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
The nail-biting psychological reality competition sees 24 strangers arrive at the remote castle, all in the hopes of winning up to €50,000 (around $58,700).
—Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 14 Sep. 2025
The Cincinnati Bengals came away with a nail-biting Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns, emerging with a 17-16 victory thanks to the Browns missing both an extra point and a 36-yard field goal.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biting
Adjective
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Following the San Francisco 49ers' loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, there was a tense moment caught on camera where 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and Jaguars head coach Liam Cohen argued with one another.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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Pio’s first goal for Inter turned a tense 1-0 lead into a welcome 2-0 win.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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All that should have spelled relief to H-1B workers and their corporate sponsors, but Xiao Wang, chief executive of the immigration services firm Boundless Immigration, said the lack of detail left many unanswered questions – and his clients uneasy.—
Dian Zhang,
USA Today,
24 Sep. 2025
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If uneasy, history may provide equal insights with economics.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Pros Leaf raking is quiet, so there are no time constraints; Collecting leaves manually not only avoids disturbing neighbors or wildlife, is also does not cause air pollution.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Sep. 2025
-
The attack adds to a disturbing pattern of violence targeting religious communities across the United States, including the recent mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis that killed two children and injured 17 others.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The extent to which the entire AI boom is backstopped by Nvidia’s cash isn’t easy to answer precisely, which is also one of the unsettling things about it.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
28 Sep. 2025
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Some experiences were unsettling.—
Soph Warnes,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the cold and austere German winter (a far cry from Dakar’s physical and cultural warmth), an anxious Nourou acts up outside a hotel and is accosted by a Polish security guard, setting off a minor chain reaction in which Maja intervenes on his behalf, much to his chagrin.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
28 Sep. 2025
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Right now, CEOs are both bullish and anxious.—
Mike Hoffman,
Fortune,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But there will be a lot of nervous folks in New England hoping Bregman's stay in Boston extends past the one-year mark.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
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Others were forced into the car, nervous at the prospect of 48 phone-free hours filled with talk about feelings.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The company’s movement language—restless, precise, elastic—has built a home for stories that were long told elsewhere, or not at all.—
Skylar Mitchell,
Essence,
29 Sep. 2025
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Their deeper role is to host inquietud—the restless desire to know more, to question assumptions, to look for connections across disciplines and geographies.—
Javier Garcia del Moral
September 26,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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While their Instagram accounts are filled with doting posts about each other, Kwame shared a distressing update about his health in January, revealing that he'd been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
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The group sees ample opportunity for partnership with some of the denim industry’s leading finishing innovators, who have worked to replace stone-washing techniques—which are polluting and water-guzzling—with lasers to achieve whiskering and distressing.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biting. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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