From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcliffhangercliff‧hang‧er /ˈklɪfˌhæŋə $ -ər/ noun [countable] LONG TIMEa situation in a story, film, or competition that makes you feel very excited or nervous because you do not know what will happen or have to wait a long time to see how it will end Tonight’s vote may be a cliffhanger. the episode’s cliffhanger ending —cliffhanging adjective
Examples from the Corpus
cliffhanger• In fact, it ends in a cliffhanger.• Malcome and Jones are in cliffhanger re-election races.• In the last cliffhanger, downstairs lover Tony Head was caught sharing his Gold Blend nightcap with a mystery lady.• He turns a daunting running time to advantage, crafting each episode into a romantic cliffhanger.• Actors have been told to keep the show's cliffhanger ending a secret.• Give them an election-year cliffhanger! 