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 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 Directed by the great Satoshi Kon, this suspenseful, surreal, gorgeous thriller has inspired countless artists, most notably Darren Aronofsky in his Oscar-winning Black Swan (2010). Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025 While the workers, in the trees, stay still, the bull’s looming, drifting presence gives frozen stillness an unambiguous motive and makes moments when people shift and even leap from branch to branch terrifyingly suspenseful. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2025 This family-friendly pick is fun, suspenseful and full of mystery. Emy Lacroix, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025 Likewise, Kumiko Ogawa’s costumes include character-defining garments as well as elaborate getups for the plays, some of which are constructed for suspenseful onstage costume changes. Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 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 The combination of surprises makes each balloon pop a suspenseful moment. Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suspenseful
Adjective
  • The 23-year-old is one of the Premier League’s most enthralling, threatening attackers.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • 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
  • 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
  • At first, the scene feels like an engrossing, elevating prelude.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • What follows is a riveting fantasy drama that inspires escapism and suspense in equal measure.
    Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Gather acorns on your next nature walk to craft these charming napkin rings.
    Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The upscale property is housed in a 1950s Portuguese colonial-style building painted the most charming shade of pink.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
  • However, the Houston Rockets are certainly an intriguing option, and might be one that Morant would love.
    Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Still, there were some pretrial motions that were intriguing and offered a glimpse as to what the trial in December in front of a jury in Charlotte could look like.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • Biel told us at InStyle of the gripping show.
    Meg Walters, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Suspenseful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suspenseful. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on suspenseful

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!