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
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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.
The following season, the Bruins lost again in the Sweet 16, this time in a 78-69 nailbiter against Louisiana State.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2026
Sharp, dark and humorous, it's a real nailbiter.
From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025
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 ● Feb. 12, 2024
Sunday's was one of the most exciting Super Bowls in recent years, with the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in a nailbiter.
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2023
Edgar Wright’s first horror proper is billed as a psychological nailbiter in the vein of Repulsion and Don’t Look Now.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 1, 2020
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.
