hair-raiser

as in thriller
something (as a close contest) that induces much suspense as to its outcome since they had been dating for five years, her answer to his proposal wasn't exactly a hair-raiser

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hair-raiser And the Halloween-eve hair-raiser adds a cackling skeleton to a horror arcade of ghoulish news for EVs. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hair-raiser
thriller
Noun
  • Elazar-Halevi’s fast-paced, live-action YA thriller blends espionage, romance, and coming-of-age drama set against the backdrops of major cities around the world.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Raimi’s new film, which hits theaters in January and released its first trailer today, is a psychological thriller set on a deserted island in which two co-workers (Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien) are stranded together after a plane crash.
    Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hair-raiser.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hair-raiser. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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