cliffhanger

American  

[klif-hang-er] / ˈklɪfˌhæŋ ər /

Or cliff-hanger

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• cliffhanging adjective

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

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

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

Microdramas hew to an established formula, with each installment ending on a cliffhanger that pushes its often preposterous story line toward a final, usually shocking reveal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

One red flag: It ends on a cliffhanger, and Season 2 has not been green-lit yet, despite the show shooting to the top of Netflix’s charts.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026

The big cliffhanger to the episode is Monika being told by Auguste that Jim told him she sold the coin when she told Jim in confidence.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026

Meeting Mamou—really meeting her, I mean—but not Babou felt wrong, like ending an episode on a cliffhanger.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

Related Words

• close call
• shocker