as in terrifying
causing fear
the soldiers let out a spine-chilling yell just before charging the enemy
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 spine-chilling
Eloise Asylum in Westland is part history, part entertainment and all spine-chilling.
—
Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Experience spine-chilling thrills in Scare Zones and the all-new maze Order of the Dragon.
—Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Sep. 2025
Set in a fictional town wrapped in mystery and spine-chilling traditions, Mandala Murders is a blend of mythology and crime thriller genres.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
In the three years since the war started, locals have gotten used to the spine-chilling sound of the sirens and mostly ignore it.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 May 2025
But rather than dilute the scare factor, the humor makes the sense of doom only more pitiless and Orlok’s plans for Ellen more spine-chilling.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2024
This complex dress featured a mannequin-like attachment on the back, making for the ultimate spine-chilling moment.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 25 Jan. 2024
Her phrasing and breath control of the most difficult passages seemed effortless, and her high notes were spine-chilling.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 July 2023
Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Experience spine-chilling thrills in Scare Zones and the all-new maze Order of the Dragon.
—Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Sep. 2025
Set in a fictional town wrapped in mystery and spine-chilling traditions, Mandala Murders is a blend of mythology and crime thriller genres.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
In the three years since the war started, locals have gotten used to the spine-chilling sound of the sirens and mostly ignore it.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 May 2025
But rather than dilute the scare factor, the humor makes the sense of doom only more pitiless and Orlok’s plans for Ellen more spine-chilling.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Dec. 2024
This complex dress featured a mannequin-like attachment on the back, making for the ultimate spine-chilling moment.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 25 Jan. 2024
Her phrasing and breath control of the most difficult passages seemed effortless, and her high notes were spine-chilling.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 July 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spine-chilling
Adjective
-
There is something inherently terrifying about a supermassive black hole hurtling through space at an excess of three million kilometers per hour.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Even their vision of outer space seldom imparts the sense of a terrifying, unknowable vastness.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
While any leukemia diagnosis is frightening, the prognosis for hairy cell leukemia is generally excellent with treatment, Tsarwhas, the LFH oncology director, noted.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The risk of crew loss during the Apollo moon missions was a rather frightening 1 in 10, according to the OIG report.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Certainly, that off feeling had to do with some very scary changes across the film and media industries, where many people feel doomed to lose their jobs.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
16 Mar. 2026
-
This time, though, the scary skeleton was gone.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Golden Horse Best Actors Wu Kang Ren and Tse Kwan Ho play the formidable Poon patriarch and son.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Last year’s Terrapins made a Sweet 16 run and lost to formidable South Carolina by just four points.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Arsenal, like Chelsea and City, have that horrible Wednesday-Saturday-Tuesday schedule to contend with.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
At this point, however, this news is neither insignificant nor horrible.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Even if the football this summer is terrible, plenty of the teams are going to look great.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
-
In the 1970s-1980s, all the agricultural talk in the Mississippi Delta was whether the boll weevil would be terrible or just awful this coming fall.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spine-chilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spine-chilling. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
