cliffhanger

Or cliff-hang·er

[klif-hang-er]

noun

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

/ 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

• cliffhanging adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cliffhanger¹

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40

Example Sentences

Our connection cuts out and it’s almost too perfect: a Laxian cliffhanger moment in which ideas are yanked back by a rush of feeling.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s his standard cliffhanger — just stay tuned and thank you for your attention to the matter.

From Salon

The odds of a second season, says my cloudy crystal ball, are limited, so you may have to accommodate a few minor cliffhangers if you decide to watch.

From Los Angeles Times

Frankly, that’s as edgy as it gets, especially in streaming, which increasingly uses episodic cliffhangers to speed up a series’ completion rate — nothing fuels a binge watch like a jacked up heart rate.

From Los Angeles Times

That isn’t quite what happens to our team, but the Chicago Tribune’s review of the restaurant in the third season finale’s cliffhanger was neither stellar nor a disaster.

From Salon

Related Words

• close call 
• shocker