cliff-hanger

noun

cliff-hang·​er ˈklif-ˌhaŋ-ər How to pronounce cliff-hanger (audio)
Synonyms of cliff-hangernext
1
: an adventure serial or melodrama
especially : one presented in installments each ending in suspense
2
: a contest whose outcome is in doubt up to the very end
broadly : a suspenseful situation
cliff-hanging
ˈklif-ˌhaŋ-iŋ How to pronounce cliff-hanger (audio)
adjective

Synonyms of cliff-hanger

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Examples of cliff-hanger in a Sentence

finally, a Super Bowl game that turned out to be a real cliff-hanger
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In other words, cut the contentious cliff-hangers and replace them with pasta and palazzos — and stories people can connect with. — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 If this is a style of storytelling that’s going to stick around, you sure as hell should know how a cliff-hanger break works in a vertical. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026 And many have speculated that Netflix’s vast trove of data informs certain narrative habits on its shows (cliff-hangers to encourage bingeing, for example, and frequent restating of plot points to engage viewers distracted by their phones). — Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026 Nonesuch ends not with a cliff-hanger, exactly, but with a transformation that necessitates a follow-up. — Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cliff-hanger

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1931, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cliff-hanger was circa 1931

Rhymes for cliff-hanger

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Browse Nearby Words

cliff-hang
cliff-hanger
cliffless
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Cite this Entry

“Cliff-hanger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cliff-hanger. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cliff-hanger

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cliff-hanger

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