white-knuckle

adjective

white-knuck·​le ˈ(h)wīt-ˈnə-kəl How to pronounce white-knuckle (audio)
variants or less commonly white-knuckled
: marked by, causing, or experiencing tense nervousness
a white-knuckle ride on a roller coaster
a white-knuckle passenger
white-knuckler 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 Mozer tells the Nova massacre story as a white-knuckle action thriller, interviewing about a dozen survivors of the attack — all of whom are in their 20s — to detail their fear, pain and, to an extent, their hopes for the future. Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Sep. 2024 Deaver and Maldonado have crafted a white-knuckle ride, although its forward momentum is undercut at times by overexplaining in clumps of exposition rather than allowing the reader to catch up more organically. Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2024 Be prepared to white-knuckle a lot of the process, but don’t be afraid to jump in. Henry Chen, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024 If Star Wars represented childlike joy and rollicking adventure, Alien was a bleak and brutal meditation on white-knuckle suspense and gory body horror. Chris Nashawaty, WIRED, 30 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for white-knuckle 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'white-knuckle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of white-knuckle was in 1872

Dictionary Entries Near white-knuckle

Cite this Entry

“White-knuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white-knuckle. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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