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 Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens in a nail-biter 2024-2025 season opener, which aired on NBC.
—
Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 6 Sep. 2024
And if this year’s race is anything like four years ago—a contest Trump lost by roughly 44,000 votes across three swing states—the margin of victory could be another nail-biter.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2024
Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner won a nail-biter runoff Tuesday to become the Democratic nominee for Texas’ 18th Congressional District, a seat vacated by the late Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, the Texas Tribune reports.
—Kizzy Cox, Essence, 16 Aug. 2024
The state is no stranger to nail-biter races, including in 2020 when Biden bested Trump by fewer than 11,000 votes.
—Gabriel Sandova, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nail-biter 
Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 6 Sep. 2024
And if this year’s race is anything like four years ago—a contest Trump lost by roughly 44,000 votes across three swing states—the margin of victory could be another nail-biter.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2024
Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner won a nail-biter runoff Tuesday to become the Democratic nominee for Texas’ 18th Congressional District, a seat vacated by the late Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, the Texas Tribune reports.
—Kizzy Cox, Essence, 16 Aug. 2024
The state is no stranger to nail-biter races, including in 2020 when Biden bested Trump by fewer than 11,000 votes.
—Gabriel Sandova, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nail-biter
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nail-biter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Nail-biter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nail-biter. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
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