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nip and tuck
adjective or adverb
: being so close that the lead or advantage shifts rapidly from one opponent to another
Synonyms
Examples of nip and tuck in a Sentence
the race was nip and tuck to the very end, with the judges needing to look at photos of the finish three times
Recent Examples on the Web
The game was nip and tuck until the 4:15 mark of the second quarter when Taliyah Parker hit a three pointer to start the 12-0 run.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Mar. 2024
After all, what good is watching a sad woman with a warped sense of self nip and tuck her face and body into oblivion if the results aren't compared and judged before a national audience?
18 of 19
Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?
—Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 29 Nov. 2023
These women are either very happy or have discovered the healing powers of a discreet nip and tuck.
—Roxanne Roberts, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2023
Just ask Hilda Back, 63, who traveled from her home in Woodlands, Texas, to New York and shelled out $230,000 for a nip and tuck at the hands of Dr. Andrew Jacono, a plastic surgeon who is perhaps best known for doing the designer Marc Jacobs’s recent face-lift.
—New York Times, 3 May 2022
In their first game without injured star Diana Taurasi, the Phoenix Mercury lost a nip and tuck game Wednesday night against WNBA preseason favorite Las Vegas.
—Jeff Metcalfe, The Arizona Republic, 26 May 2021
Meta likely can’t nip and tuck its way to thousands of job cuts.
—Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2022
With Ryan and recent signings in mind, we nip and tuck the 2022 first-round projection once more: 1.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2022
So picture me, with an unexpectedly large amount of car to my left, trying to balance on the clutch as cars nip and tuck down a street not wide enough for two to drive abreast, with a two-foot-thick medieval wall just beyond my rearview mirror.
—Mike McShane, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nip and tuck.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1832, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near nip and tuck
Cite this Entry
“Nip and tuck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nip%20and%20tuck. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
nip and tuck
adjective or adverb
: so close that the advantage shifts rapidly from one contestant to another
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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