white-knuckle

adjective

white-knuck·​le ˈ(h)wīt-ˈnə-kəl 

variants or less commonly white-knuckled

ˈ(h)wīt-ˈnə-kəld 

: marked by, causing, or experiencing tense nervousness

a white-knuckle ride on a roller coaster

a white-knuckle passenger

white-knuckler

ˈ(h)wīt-ˈnə-k(ə-)lər 

noun

plural white-knucklers

The 65-mile speedway connecting Vancouver and the mountain town of Whistler was a white-knuckler for decades.

—Christian DeBenedetti

Examples of white-knuckle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dealing with this colorful psychopath, Christian Bale's hero wrestles with personal choices and his gig as Gotham's resident protector in a white-knuckle affair about the fine line between good and evil. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 July 2025

Wes Craven's white-knuckle thriller, now streaming on Netflix, turns 20 next month. —EW.com, 7 July 2025

Of course, Houston, which had won seven consecutive games vs. Colorado entering the day, made the Rockies white-knuckle it in the ninth. —Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 3 July 2025

Sudeikis shared his fondest memory of Wendt in a 2017 interview with The A.V. Club, recalling a white-knuckle drive in his uncle's BMW with his dad. —Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 1 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for white-knuckle

• buckle
• chicle
• chuckle
• knuckle
• muckle
• suckle
• tical
• honeysuckle