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
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
Related Content Bitcoin tanks to $66,000 ahead of nail-biter tech earnings
Bitcoin nears $70,000, boosted by Trump's Bitcoin conference promises
Among major cryptocurrencies, Solana, Dogecoin, and Cardano have dropped over 19%, 21%, and 17% in the past 24 hours.
—Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for 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
Related Content Bitcoin tanks to $66,000 ahead of nail-biter tech earnings
Bitcoin nears $70,000, boosted by Trump's Bitcoin conference promises
Among major cryptocurrencies, Solana, Dogecoin, and Cardano have dropped over 19%, 21%, and 17% in the past 24 hours.
—Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 5 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 12 Sep. 2024.
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