THRILLER Synonyms: 8 Similar and Opposite Words

thriller

noun

ˈthri-lər

Definition of thriller

as in suspenser

something (as a close contest) that induces much suspense as to its outcome those television awards are hardly thrillers since the same people win year after year

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 thriller During Bajaria’s tenure, international hits have become pretty standard at Netflix with shows across genres and borders including Spanish thriller Money Heist, French crime drama Lupin, or Indian procedural Delhi Crime. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026 Jolie’s next projects include the crime thriller Sunny and the crime comedy Anxious People. — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026 Although, with words like emergency and bunker—the skeptics have made routine election work seem like a covert-ops thriller. — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026 Clever and taut, this is the kind of adult thriller that doesn’t really get made all that often anymore. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for thriller

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thriller

suspenser

Noun

Directed by Nelicia Low, the suspenser follows a young fencer struggling with keeping his secret crush on a fellow fencer from his homophobic mother.

— Vivienne Chow, Variety, 17 May 2022
On the other hand, the story introduces fictional characters and elements that give it the air of a suspenser, exactly the sort for which Harris is so popular.

— Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Jan. 2022

Definition of suspenser

Browse Nearby Words

thrilled

thriller

thrillers

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Thriller.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thriller. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of thriller

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on thriller

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

raffish

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes