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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spine-chilling
Adjective
  • Kim's direction is bold and stylish, and the supernatural scenes are terrifying, embodying the finest that Korean horror has to offer.
    Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
  • By the time it was all set up, the whole cold, disintegrating place was threaded with lights and lines, flickering everywhere, black and red, the sheer quantity somehow terrifying and embracing at once.
    Blair Braverman, Outside, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Much of the film rests on a razor's edge between funny and frightening, which makes its twists and turns all the more surprising.
    Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
  • In the premiere’s early minutes, a young woman on a mission falls prey to a vampire and his frightening creatures known as revenants, sparking Helen’s decision to bring Guy into the fold.
    Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The truth can be far more haunting than any scary story.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
  • The movie adaptation was terrifying, but the creepy atmospheric tension in the novel is even scarier.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Mesidor has formed a formidable one-two punch on the Hurricanes’ defensive line with Rueben Bain Jr.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Jazz In recent years, the pianist Vijay Iyer and the drummer Tyshawn Sorey, defining composers and leaders of contemporary jazz, have become one of its most formidable pairings.
    Hilton Als, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The New York Jets’ Sunday began with a horrible loss, as legendary center Nick Mangold passed away after a long battle with kidney disease.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Šilovs did, however, look horrible in the shootout.
    Josh Yohe, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The heiress was involved in a terrible car accident in 1929, which left her with life-long medical issues.
    Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 26 Oct. 2025
  • And keeper Caoimhin Kelleher, once Alisson’s backup with Liverpool, has improved after a terrible start.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spine-chilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spine-chilling. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!