cliffhanger

American  

[klif-hang-er] / ˈklɪfˌhæŋ ər /

Or cliff-hanger

noun

cliffhangers plural

1. a melodramatic or adventure serial in which each installment ends in suspense in order to interest the reader or viewer in the next installment.

2. a single installment in such a serial.

3. a suspenseful movie, novel, etc.

4. the suspenseful ending itself.

5. a situation or contest of which the outcome is suspensefully uncertain up to the very last moment.

   The game was a cliffhanger, but our team finally won.

---

cliffhanger British  

/ ˈklɪfˌhæŋə /

noun

1. 1. a situation of imminent disaster usually occurring at the end of each episode of a serialized film

   2. the serialized film itself

2. a situation that is dramatic or uncertain

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cliffhanging
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cliffhangers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cliffhanger

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40

Explanation

A cliffhanger is a plot device in a book, movie, or TV show that leaves the audience in suspense at the end of a scene or episode. If your favorite show ends its season with a cliffhanger, you'll have to wait months to find out what happens next. The key to a good cliffhanger is a character in some precarious position — this keeps the plot exciting, and it also ensures that the audience will return to see how dilemmas are resolved. In the case of a book, a cliffhanger keeps you turning the pages. The use of cliffhangers goes back to Homer's "Odyssey," though the word itself dates from 1937, from serial movies that would sometimes literally leave characters dangling from a cliff at the end.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cliffhanger cliffhangers

That will be followed by the cliffhanger of whether Meghan appears later in the week - and whether the King will meet his grandchildren.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

Likewise, the score by Tony Doogan leans too heavily on generic electronic thuds, the kind that segue into a commercial break cliffhanger and an ad for blood pressure medicine.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

A solid, by-the-numbers, character-driven yarn, “Detour” ends on a cliffhanger because it’s the start of a series.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026

The police body cam footage of her arrest serves as the “Mormon Wives” premiere’s cliffhanger.

From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2026

And each night Scheherazade weaves the tales together so that they always end on a cliffhanger.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

Fun at times, ridiculous at others, the show ended with multiple cliffhangers, so pulling the plug seems especially painful.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

Zuiker, the “CSI” creator, said the challenge of writing a microdrama is coming up with a full story held together with cliffhangers to keep people glued.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025

Over its 40-year run, EastEnders hasn't just been plot twists, emotions and gripping "doof doof" cliffhangers.

From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2025

Just like TV cliffhangers, videos often end on a suspenseful note, building anticipation for the next installment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2024

"TNG" and "Deep Space Nine" were syndicated series, and in the age of scripted syndication, cliffhangers were insurance beckoning a wandering audience to return.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2023

Related Words

• close call
• shocker