: 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
Lady Mary was Michelle Dockery’s breakout role, paving the way to parts in 2011’s Hanna; Joe Wright’s 2012 film adaptation of Anna Karenina, starring Keira Knightley; and the 2014 action thriller Non-Stop, alongside Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore.
—
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
Bateman's character, Vince Friedken, battles a gambling addiction in a trailer for the crime thriller, as Law's Jake Friedken celebrates the growing success of his buzzy establishment.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Plant them in the center of a small perennial bed as a vertical thriller element.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Sep. 2025
Gilles Lellouche hits the big screen at the Toronto Film Festival on Wednesday as the star of Cédric Jimenez’s high-octane, sci-fi thriller Dog 51, which makes its North American premiere as a special presentation after a Venice debut.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thriller
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Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
Bateman's character, Vince Friedken, battles a gambling addiction in a trailer for the crime thriller, as Law's Jake Friedken celebrates the growing success of his buzzy establishment.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Plant them in the center of a small perennial bed as a vertical thriller element.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Sep. 2025
Gilles Lellouche hits the big screen at the Toronto Film Festival on Wednesday as the star of Cédric Jimenez’s high-octane, sci-fi thriller Dog 51, which makes its North American premiere as a special presentation after a Venice debut.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for thriller
Cite this Entry
“Thriller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thriller. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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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