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
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BofA doesn’t project any scenarios in the event of a recession, but with the economy stalling out for job-hoppers, the workforce is in white-knuckle mode, holding on tight. Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025 Somewhere in the blur of a white-knuckle pitching duel, Will Vest looked at teammates in the Detroit Tigers bullpen and made a joke. Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025 In recent years, he's fully leaned into action, headlining the Taken series (2008–2014) in addition to white-knuckle flicks like The Grey (2011), The Commuter (2018), and Retribution (2023). Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2025 In the first trailer for white-knuckle thriller The Lost Bus, a wayward bus driver (Matthew McConaughey) answers a distress call for a classroom of kids trapped in Ponderosa Elementary School. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 29 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for white-knuckle

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

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

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Cite this Entry

“White-knuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white-knuckle. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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