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 first four games of the NCAA college basketball tournament kicked off Tuesday night with a nail-biter between Alabama State and Saint Francis (Pa.).
—
Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2025
To get to Sunday's Big Ten tournament championship game, the Wolverines defeated tournament No. 6 seed Purdue 86-68 before winning a nail-biter against Maryland, the tournament No. 2 seed, 81-80.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 16 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
Luke Isaak, San Ramon Valley basketball: 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
See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
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Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2025
To get to Sunday's Big Ten tournament championship game, the Wolverines defeated tournament No. 6 seed Purdue 86-68 before winning a nail-biter against Maryland, the tournament No. 2 seed, 81-80.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 16 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
Luke Isaak, San Ramon Valley basketball: 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
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 29 Mar. 2025.
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