nail-biter

noun

ˈnāl-ˌbī-tər How to pronounce nail-biter (audio)
Definition of nail-biternext
as in thriller
something (as a close contest) that induces much suspense as to its outcome a presidential election that was one of the great nail-biters of all time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of nail-biter Votes continued being counted in what's turning into a nail-biter finish. — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026 Athletics fans had plenty to cheer for in Wednesday’s extra-inning nail-biter against the Boston Red Sox. — Sean Campbell, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026 The World Cup final is only days away, and the entire month-long tournament has been an undisputed nail-biter and arguably one of the most fun watchable events of the year. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 15 July 2026 But even with Messi’s early goal, the game was a nail-biter, with Cape Verde scoring two brilliant goals while their goalie Vozinha made eight saves, including four shots (one of them a free kick) from Messi. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for nail-biter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biter
thriller
Noun
  • Far and Away, as well as in director Stanley Kubrick’s 1999 erotic thriller Eyes Wide Shut.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Leonardo DiCaprio is put in quite the pickle as a stressed spy in the solid political thriller.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of thriller

Browse Nearby Words

nail
nail-biter
nail-biters
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nail-biter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biter. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All