thriller

noun

thrill·​er ˈthri-lər How to pronounce thriller (audio)
: one that thrills
especially : a work of fiction or drama designed to hold the interest by the use of a high degree of intrigue, adventure, or suspense

Examples of thriller in a Sentence

His latest novel is a political thriller. those television awards are hardly thrillers since the same people win year after year
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In an interview with Esquire shortly after Bring Her Back was released in theaters, Danny Philippou discussed how the success of Talk to Me contributed to the expectations of the brothers’ second horror thriller. Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025 Three Days of the Condor (1975) A Cold War–era thriller in which Redford plays a CIA analyst caught in a web of conspiracy. Hannah Parry amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025 During the film’s trailer reveal at CinemaCon earlier this year, Feig expressed the importance of making a dark psychological thriller for the big screen. Leia Mendoza, Variety, 16 Sep. 2025 Lionsgate on Tuesday released the trailer for The Housemaid, its upcoming thriller directed by Paul Feig and starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried. Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for thriller

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thriller was in 1889

Cite this Entry

“Thriller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thriller. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

thriller

noun
thril·​ler ˈthril-ər How to pronounce thriller (audio)
: one that thrills
especially : a work of fiction or drama with a great deal of action, mystery, adventure, or suspense

More from Merriam-Webster on thriller

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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