as in enthralling
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Recent Examples of suspenseful
The Thing is one of those rare sci-fi horrors that stands the test of time due to its suspenseful pacing and its groundbreaking practical effects by Rob Bottin, leaving you both frozen and scared stiff.
—
Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
This is, indeed, some suspenseful string music!
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2025
Its most gripping, least typical chapter describes an outbreak in breathlessly suspenseful detail, tracking the contagion from Alexandria, where a shipworker has a fateful encounter with a monkey’s fleas, all the way to England and, eventually, the Shakespeares’ doorstep.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2025
Lefranc’s adventures — exotic and suspenseful — would be a perfect fit for a Prime series.
—Ernesto Lechner, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025
Death Note is an addictively suspenseful supernatural thriller — one in which the scariest person happens to be the story’s edgelord protagonist.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
This family-friendly pick is fun, suspenseful and full of mystery.
—Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
The crowd held the power to choose who advanced—an energy that made every beat a suspenseful moment.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 28 Oct. 2025
The plot follows a group of law enforcement officers investigating a series of mysterious murders connected to the infamous Route 666, blending supernatural elements with urban legend for a suspenseful ride through the dark history of the road.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
This is, indeed, some suspenseful string music!
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2025
Its most gripping, least typical chapter describes an outbreak in breathlessly suspenseful detail, tracking the contagion from Alexandria, where a shipworker has a fateful encounter with a monkey’s fleas, all the way to England and, eventually, the Shakespeares’ doorstep.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2025
Lefranc’s adventures — exotic and suspenseful — would be a perfect fit for a Prime series.
—Ernesto Lechner, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025
Death Note is an addictively suspenseful supernatural thriller — one in which the scariest person happens to be the story’s edgelord protagonist.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
This family-friendly pick is fun, suspenseful and full of mystery.
—Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
The crowd held the power to choose who advanced—an energy that made every beat a suspenseful moment.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 28 Oct. 2025
The plot follows a group of law enforcement officers investigating a series of mysterious murders connected to the infamous Route 666, blending supernatural elements with urban legend for a suspenseful ride through the dark history of the road.
—Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspenseful
Adjective
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The 23-year-old is one of the Premier League’s most enthralling, threatening attackers.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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For director Rowan Athale, the experience was enthralling but also wholly bizarre, largely because of the sheer amount of star-wattage in the room.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
5 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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See Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and Zack Snyder’s DCEU films, which for all their engrossing storytelling and visual splendors are militaristic fantasies of power and control with a splash of Ayn Randian exceptionalism.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
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At first, the scene feels like an engrossing, elevating prelude.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Sure, the Pittsburgh Steelers coach could wring his hands over the impossibly thin line between victory and defeat, one his team received an up-close look at yet again in a riveting 26-24 win over Baltimore on Sunday night that clinched Pittsburgh's first AFC North title in five years.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
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What follows is a riveting fantasy drama that inspires escapism and suspense in equal measure.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The allure of their relationship is undeniable, but charming as their chemistry is, something is definitely off.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
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For a quintessential small-town Vermont experience, stay at the charming Mad River Barn right around the corner.—
Lydia Price,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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For about 35 minutes of real time in the second half, so many of this season’s most captivating elements were on full display.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
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Yet season four’s most captivating moment arguably came from what CG Animation Director Ryan Donoghue calls the grand farewell to Chaos Theory’s dinosaur ensemble — a battle staged outside that clinic featuring three tyrannosaurus rexes and five junior velociraptors.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But a new study has cast doubt on the idea that the intriguing world shrouded in ice could indeed harbor extraterrestrial life deep in its vast ocean of liquid saltwater.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
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The most intriguing combo of late, though, features Robertson, Nicolas Roy and Easton Cowan.—
Jonas Siegel,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Ever gripping, wry, and immersive, this biography is for the many readers who love the specific cultural histories that reveal the grander truths of our time.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
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Biel told us at InStyle of the gripping show.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Cowboys have mastered the art of entertaining and interesting better than any sports franchise in the world, but there is a redundancy that to the person who spends a lot of their money on it is justifiably checked out.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Jan. 2026
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Seeing these guys unapologetically portrayed by an actor whose superpower is the audience is always with him was interesting.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suspenseful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspenseful. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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