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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
Cite this Entry
“Hair-raiser.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hair-raiser. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share