nail-biter
noun
nail-bit·er
ˈnāl-ˌbī-tər 
: something (such as a close contest) that induces tension or anxiety
Examples of nail-biter in a Sentence
a presidential election that was one of the great nail-biters of all time
Recent Examples on the Web
The blobfish, which lives mainly in waters off the southeastern coast of mainland Australia, the Australian island of Tasmania and New Zealand, emerged victorious with almost 1,300 out of more than 5,500 votes in this year’s nail-biter of a race.
—
Peter Guo, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025
House Democratic leaders are slated to hold a press conference as their counterparts in the Senate face down a nail-biter vote on government funding.
—The Hill Staff, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
The senior scored 33 points and 14 rebounds as SRV took down Oakland Tech 77-74 in an overtime nail-biter.
—Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2025
The latest is Hulu’s Paradise, which is a real nail-biter from start to finish.
—Dana Feldman, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
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.
Peter Guo, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025
House Democratic leaders are slated to hold a press conference as their counterparts in the Senate face down a nail-biter vote on government funding.
—The Hill Staff, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
The senior scored 33 points and 14 rebounds as SRV took down Oakland Tech 77-74 in an overtime nail-biter.
—Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2025
The latest is Hulu’s Paradise, which is a real nail-biter from start to finish.
—Dana Feldman, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nail-biter. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share