cliff hanger
Nail-biter's finale
A cliff hanger is a story or situation that leaves you in suspense, desperate to know what happens next.
The term comes from serialized fiction where episodes would end with a hero literally hanging from a cliff.
Now it describes any dramatic pause before resolution: The election was a cliff hanger until the final votes came in.
Also spelled cliffhanger.
- chimneyVertical smoke passage
- rock faceSteep exposed stone surface
- stanceStanding posture or viewpoint
- corniceOrnamental upper trim
- traverseMove across an area
belay · exposure · carabiner · buttress · serial drama · next episode · mantel · slab · crampon · chockstone · couloir · anticipation · suspense · bivouac · tension · plot twist · crevasse · switchback
- carnival ridesFerris wheel, carousel, bumper cars, merry-go-round, tilt-a-whirl
- close callsclose call, near miss, narrow escape, close shave, nick of time
- suspensesuspense, suspenseful, tension, nail-biter, nail-biting
- literary devicesmetaphor, simile, hyperbole, personification, alliteration
- climbing gearcarabiners, chalk bag, chalk, rope, crash pad
- Motorcycle Trickswheelie, stoppie, backflip, superman, no-hander
cliff hangerresolution
Formal decision or determination
denouement · closure · happy ending · epilogue · final chapter
cliff hangercatharsis
Purification through emotional expression
relief · satisfaction · reassurance · comfort · emotional release
cliff hangerforegone conclusion
Result assumed beforehand
blowout · decisive victory · landslide · sure thing · walkover