thriller

noun

ˈthri-lər How to pronounce thriller (audio)
Definition of thrillernext
as in suspenser
something (as a close contest) that induces much suspense as to its outcome those television awards are hardly thrillers since the same people win year after year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of thriller Worried about the dog in the sci-fi apocalypse thriller The End of Oak Street? — Greg Evans, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2026 Hathaway makes a meal of every moment, dialing her performance up to an 11 as the pulpy, erotic thriller goes deliriously off the rails. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026 Since that fateful summer, Steven Spielberg's sci-fi survival thriller has reigned supreme as the undisputed king of dinosaur films. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 14 Aug. 2026 Over the years, however, the actress has proven herself remarkably versatile, pivoting nimbly from frothy rom-coms and broad comedies to searing dramas, psychological thrillers, and big-budget spectacles. — Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thriller
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thriller
suspenser
Noun
  • Directed by Nelicia Low, the suspenser follows a young fencer struggling with keeping his secret crush on a fellow fencer from his homophobic mother.
    — Vivienne Chow, Variety, 17 May 2022
  • On the other hand, the story introduces fictional characters and elements that give it the air of a suspenser, exactly the sort for which Harris is so popular.
    — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Jan. 2022
Definition of suspenser

Browse Nearby Words

thrilled
thriller
thrillers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thriller.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thriller. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on thriller

Nglish: Translation of thriller for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All