: 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
Beef does something similar, translating immigrant frustration into the visual vocabulary of an American thriller, animated by distinctly Korean notions of family honor, shame, resentment and parental pressure.
—
Dan Bilefsky, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026
Their last win away from home came on May 2 versus Washington Spirit in a 4-3 thriller.
—ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
Through 36 minutes of the Aggies’ tense, taut thriller with Villanova on Friday at Viejas Arena, Collins clanked three of his five tries.
—Jay Posner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
David Benioff wrote 25th Hour (great), Troy (good), and then Stay, this nearly impenetrable psychological thriller that plays out like The Machinist through a David Lynch filter.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thriller
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Dan Bilefsky, HollywoodReporter, 21 Mar. 2026
Their last win away from home came on May 2 versus Washington Spirit in a 4-3 thriller.
—ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
Through 36 minutes of the Aggies’ tense, taut thriller with Villanova on Friday at Viejas Arena, Collins clanked three of his five tries.
—Jay Posner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
David Benioff wrote 25th Hour (great), Troy (good), and then Stay, this nearly impenetrable psychological thriller that plays out like The Machinist through a David Lynch filter.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 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 30 Mar. 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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