as in tense
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
for a couple of nail-biting moments we thought that we had actually won the mega lottery
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nail-biting
Adjective
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Denzel Washington confronts photographer in tense moment at Cannes Film Festival Watson did not scrimp in the glamour department for her 2013 Cannes debut either.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
23 May 2025 -
The posts tee up a potentially tense exchange between U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and his European counterpart later Friday morning.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Today, hydrogen bombs have replaced atom bombs in most arsenals, creating a world of uneasy standoffs among nuclear foes.—
William J. Broad,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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But the vote was not unanimous and left Councilman Kevin O’Neill feeling uneasy.—
Mike Hendricks,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Nothing has officially happened yet, but the tension is disturbing with the consequences potentially devastating.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 May 2025
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That’s a quite disturbing possibility since AGI could wield such an act on a scale of immense magnitude and with globally adverse consequences.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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For Armstrong, capturing the humanity of these men paints a more unsettling portrait than pure billionaire-trolling might.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
30 May 2025
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The main case under investigation is unsettling and satisfyingly intricate, with ample thematic connections to Morck, Akram and Rose’s respective forms of psychological damage.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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In the novel’s historical re-creation, is there an anxious note to Americans now losing themselves in accommodation?—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
23 May 2025
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An inaccurate diagnosis might lead to unnecessary or risky treatment, and a false positive can cause stress by requiring additional tests and anxious waits for results.—
Max Votek,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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The price of gold tends to move when markets get nervous – and so does the gold.—
Ken Roberts,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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That said, one moment in the final episode did make Brashear nervous.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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There is a kind of sadness that comes from living in a restless state of FOMO — or fear of missing out, as the acronym goes.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
25 May 2025
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As congressional Democrats have struggled to combat Trump this year, attorneys general have represented a tangible — and effective — counter to the president for restless Democratic voters.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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The doll is so creepy that’s peeking out the window.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2025
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Using Hyper-Granular Targeting That Feels Creepy One big fail marketers make in personalized marketing is getting too granular with data—making campaigns creepy instead of relevant.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Nail-biting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biting. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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