nailbiter
Britishnoun
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a person who bites his or her nails
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a person who is anxious or tense
-
something that causes anxiety or tension
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Before the season, Jim Skipper called the matchup “a win-win. … It’s going to be a nailbiter, I know that.”
From Los Angeles Times
Shortly after arriving, Blinken attended a Chinese basketball playoff game between the local Shanghai Sharks and the Zhejiang Golden Bulls, with the home team losing in the last seconds in 121-120 nailbiter.
From Seattle Times
And she is pondering doing so again after letting her 9-year-old son stay up late to watch the nailbiter of a finish.
From Seattle Times
And the Huskies pulled out another nailbiter that ended with fans storming the field.
From Seattle Times
“It’s definitely a nailbiter for the guys that are on that bubble, but it’s also a big opportunity for guys that are on the outside looking in,” said 2017 series champion Martin Truex Jr., who missed the playoffs by three points last year at Daytona.
From Washington Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
