Tension-Building Vocabulary

noun a very small distance or margin

• The car missed hitting the pedestrian by a hairbreadth.
• I almost burned the cake, but managed to save it by a hairbreadth.
• That was a close call, we escaped by a hairbreadth!
• She made a hairbreadth escape from the dangerous situation.

adjective A word that describes or modifies a noun, in this case, 'panic-stricken' describes a state of extreme fear or anxiety.

• The crowd became panic-stricken when they heard the loud noise.
• I was panic-stricken when I realized I left my phone at home.
• She was totally panic-stricken when she saw the spider in her room.
• His mind was panic-stricken with worry about the upcoming exam.