cliff-hanger

noun

ˈklif-ˌhaŋ-ər How to pronounce cliff-hanger (audio)
Definition of cliff-hangernext
as in thriller
something (as a close contest) that induces much suspense as to its outcome finally, a Super Bowl game that turned out to be a real cliff-hanger

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cliff-hanger The latest cliff-hanger, which saw Netflix ceding the bidding war to Paramount late Thursday, had Hollywood and the media worlds agog. — Rebecca Keegan, NBC news, 27 Feb. 2026 The show remains compulsively watchable; each episode ends on a cliff-hanger. — Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 26 Dec. 2025 Angus Cloud, who played drug dealer Fezco, died after season two; the second season ended on a major cliff-hanger involving his character. — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025 For now, Mars keeps its secrets, and Bright Angel stays a cliff-hanger. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cliff-hanger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliff-hanger
thriller
Noun
  • All three are crime drama-thrillers, the most exportable and ordered of program types, but all three reject tropes of the genre.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • In Aaron Sorkin’s new thriller, the fictional Haugen — who, like her nonfictional counterpart, leaks thousands of documents to Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz — habitually dons the accessories.
    — Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of thriller

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cliff dwellers
cliff-hanger
cliff-hangers
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Cite this Entry

“Cliff-hanger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cliff-hanger. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cliff-hanger

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cliff-hanger

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