nail biter

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See also: nailbiter and nail-biter

English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • Audio (AU)(file)

Noun[edit]

nail biter (plural nail biters)

  1. (literal) One who habitually bites or chews their fingernails.
  2. (figurative) A situation which causes anxiety, suspense, nervousness or discomfort.
    Synonym: cliffhanger
    It was a real nail biter waiting for the test results.
    • 2018 August 8, Frank Bruni, “A Nail-Biter in Ohio Is a Democratic Triumph”, in New York Times‎[1]:
      And in a shockingly misogynistic ad, Republicans placed an image of O’Connor in a huddle of three supposedly nightmarish mascots of liberalism, all women: Pelosi, Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton. O’Connor absorbed all of this and still turned the race into a nail-biter.
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