as in suspensers
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
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Recent Examples of thrillers
Feature-length films of various genres, from documentaries to thrillers and comedies, have been selected from Latin America and Asia, while the short film categories are reserved exclusively for Latin America.
—
Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026
This is a bonkers early film from the master of sleazy thrillers, Brian De Palma, and one of the few great movies proudly set on Staten Island.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
For example, there’s a lot of cozy or light drama, and crime drama always works very well, thrillers and this kind of genre.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
Director Lee Sang-il, previously best known for crime thrillers like Villain (2010) and directing work on Apple TV+’s Pachinko, brought in Japanese film industry veteran Kyoko Toyokawa (Sonatine, Midnight Diner) to serve as the film’s lead hair and makeup artist.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026
Bound-to-be-bestselling thrillers?
—Chris Hewitt, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
The Ducks turned in a pair of thrillers, twice escaping from multiple multi-goal holes to topple last year’s Western Conference champs and Presidents’ Trophy winners in consecutive games.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026
The rivalry seemingly produces thrillers, with each of the past three games being decided by 10 total points.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026
The new ‘Burbs, expanded to eight episodes by creator Celeste Hughey, seems at first to be a stale, simplistic fusion of its namesake and the more recent wave of racially attuned social thrillers popularized by Get Out director Jordan Peele.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026
This is a bonkers early film from the master of sleazy thrillers, Brian De Palma, and one of the few great movies proudly set on Staten Island.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
For example, there’s a lot of cozy or light drama, and crime drama always works very well, thrillers and this kind of genre.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
Director Lee Sang-il, previously best known for crime thrillers like Villain (2010) and directing work on Apple TV+’s Pachinko, brought in Japanese film industry veteran Kyoko Toyokawa (Sonatine, Midnight Diner) to serve as the film’s lead hair and makeup artist.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026
Bound-to-be-bestselling thrillers?
—Chris Hewitt, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
The Ducks turned in a pair of thrillers, twice escaping from multiple multi-goal holes to topple last year’s Western Conference champs and Presidents’ Trophy winners in consecutive games.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026
The rivalry seemingly produces thrillers, with each of the past three games being decided by 10 total points.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026
The new ‘Burbs, expanded to eight episodes by creator Celeste Hughey, seems at first to be a stale, simplistic fusion of its namesake and the more recent wave of racially attuned social thrillers popularized by Get Out director Jordan Peele.
—Judy Berman, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thrillers
Noun
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Even long-term nail-biters, or those whose nails are prone to breakage, tend to have success with growth.—
Tori Crowther,
Refinery29,
29 Jan. 2026
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For the gym-goers and habitual nail-biters in your life, this is an essential gift.—
The Editors,
Outside,
14 Nov. 2025
Noun
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And many have speculated that Netflix’s vast trove of data informs certain narrative habits on its shows (cliff-hangers to encourage bingeing, for example, and frequent restating of plot points to engage viewers distracted by their phones).—
Geoff Colvin,
Fortune,
13 Mar. 2026
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The biggest key to the success of minidramas, though, is the cliff-hangers, which push viewers to keep paying for the next episode.—
Yixuan Tan,
NBC news,
17 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Thrillers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thrillers. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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