suspenseful

Definition of suspensefulnext

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 suspenseful There’s this funny conceit that all the people in Slough House are a bit of screwups, but the show also gets very emotional and suspenseful, and the stakes are often very high. — Lisa De Los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026 If the idea is to make the Emmys even less suspenseful, mission accomplished. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026 But, though the special effects are killer, what makes the show click is its suspenseful melancholy, as quiet scenes build to jolts so intense that the whole audience screamed. — Rhoda Feng, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026 Paranormal Activity understands just how much fun that can be, crafting a story so suspenseful, so surprising and so startling that the audience’s screams become a soundtrack all their own. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 Watch On Despite containing a plot summary in its title and a tepid reception when it was released, director Andrew Dominik’s meditative film manages to be both suspenseful and insightful. — David Faris, TheWeek, 21 Aug. 2026 The Coen brothers’ quiet debut film is among their most suspenseful works. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Aug. 2026 None of this is remotely credible, or particularly suspenseful. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026 The suspenseful shark sequences in an underwater cage where two distressed heroines Tatiana (Laura Marano) and Kaley (Christina Ochoa) get trapped are shockingly good while a third act ratchets up the blood and the tension. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspenseful
Adjective
  • Kamran Pasha has devised a truly unique take that honors the source material while expanding it in an enthralling, unexpected way.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • And in the face of such adversity, the fanbase has opted for a measure of gallows humor – symbolized by hundreds of inflatable yellow bananas that punctuated the capacity crowd that was treated to an enthralling match against PSG.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • However, as Pamela Colloff reveals in her taut and engrossing investigation, a scheming jailhouse snitch’s testimony was largely responsible for putting Dailey on death row for decades.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The story of his exfiltration from Moscow is utterly engrossing.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 5 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Greene purists, as well as the author himself, bristled at the way Gere’s casting transformed the story, but as pure drama the movie is riveting — and a fascinating case study in just how much a star persona can affect a film.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Consistently riveting and beautifully shot by Roger Deakins, this is top-tier Bond.
    — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The charming downtown Banff is about two miles down the road; the hotel offers a free shuttle into town every 30 minutes.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Fisher lived in a charming Spanish-style estate high up in the Hollywood Hills, and her mom, at Fisher’s behest, moved into the neighboring cottage.
    — Michael Gioia, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Rarely has nonfiction been this popular, this captivating, or this big a box office draw.
    — Andrew McGowan, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Tyson Familiar and visually uninspired, yet still sporadically captivating.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The Patriots will finish second in the West Valley League and could be an intriguing first-round matchup in the City Section Open Division playoffs.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • For now, this is an intriguing proof of concept, a tantalizing glimpse of what electric mobility might look like someday, and a technology wrapped in enough engineering jargon to make the average driver’s eyes glaze over.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The robot incorporates advanced hands for more precise gripping and Smart Limbs, which allow individual limbs to respond independently to their surroundings.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Both gripping and historically vital, the film struck us with how urgently its questions about justice, race, and bodily autonomy still resonate today.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • An interesting detail is that four ESSMs can fit into one compatible launch cell.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • That leaves an interesting question about how cities should handle future confrontations between pedestrians and commercial robots.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Suspenseful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspenseful. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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