: 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
Paul Thomas Anderson’s political thriller One Battle After Another won six honors at the BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday, with Ryan Coogler’s vampire horror drama Sinners earning three, setting a record for the most honors for a movie from a Black filmmaker.
—
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 22 Feb. 2026
Double-overtime Johnas Maurice had 36 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds for Lake Howell and the SilverHawks (24-5) won double-overtime thriller 82-77 against Tocoi Creek.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
Comedy thrillers are in vogue and Addison said Slow Horses, which was created by his Thick of It co-star Will Smith, represented a watershed moment for this genre.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2026
Ryan Coogler and his genre-bending vampire thriller just made history at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thriller
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Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 22 Feb. 2026
Double-overtime Johnas Maurice had 36 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds for Lake Howell and the SilverHawks (24-5) won double-overtime thriller 82-77 against Tocoi Creek.
—Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
Comedy thrillers are in vogue and Addison said Slow Horses, which was created by his Thick of It co-star Will Smith, represented a watershed moment for this genre.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2026
Ryan Coogler and his genre-bending vampire thriller just made history at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 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 24 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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