cliff ‧ hang ‧ er /ˈklɪfˌhæŋə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
a 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