: 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
What’s billed as a comedy thriller, the show stars Roísín Gallagher as Saoirse, Sinéad Keenan as Robyn and Caoilfhionn Dunne as Dara, as three childhood friends who embark on the most thrilling adventure of their lives.
—
Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 1 Feb. 2026
Spliced between an intense single day in the present investigation and the twisted trajectory of the young lovers’ affair in the past, the series is both a unique crime story and a riveting, sexy, psychological thriller.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Feb. 2026
Kaley Cuoco seems to have caught the international thriller bug.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
Adapted from Celeste Ng’s bestseller, Little Fires Everywhere is crafted in the glamorous domestic thriller mold of Big Little Lies.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thriller
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Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 1 Feb. 2026
Spliced between an intense single day in the present investigation and the twisted trajectory of the young lovers’ affair in the past, the series is both a unique crime story and a riveting, sexy, psychological thriller.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Feb. 2026
Kaley Cuoco seems to have caught the international thriller bug.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
Adapted from Celeste Ng’s bestseller, Little Fires Everywhere is crafted in the glamorous domestic thriller mold of Big Little Lies.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thriller
Cite this Entry
“Thriller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thriller. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thriller
noun
thril·ler
ˈthril-ər 
: one that thrills
especially
: a work of fiction or drama with a great deal of action, mystery, adventure, or suspense
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