1
a
: one that spoils
b
: one (such as a political candidate) having little or no chance of winning but capable of depriving a rival of success
2
a
: a long narrow plate along the upper surface of an airplane wing that may be raised for reducing lift and increasing drag see airplane illustration
b
: an air deflector on an automobile to reduce the tendency to lift off the road at high speeds
3
: information about the plot of a movie or TV program that can spoil a viewer's sense of surprise or suspense
also
: a person who discloses such information
Examples of spoiler in a Sentence
The review contains a few spoilers, so don't read it if you haven't seen the movie.
Recent Examples on the Web
The following contains spoilers from the April 28 episode of CBS‘ NCIS.
—
Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 29 Apr. 2025
This story contains spoilers from The Last of Us games and HBO series.
01 of 12
The timeline
The Last of Us video game series kicks off in 2013, eventually time-jumping to 2033.
—Jessica Sager, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025
This post contains spoilers for Episode 3 of The Last of Us Season 2.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
This article contains spoilers for Season 2 of HBO's The Last of Us.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spoiler
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Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 29 Apr. 2025
This story contains spoilers from The Last of Us games and HBO series.
01 of 12
The timeline
The Last of Us video game series kicks off in 2013, eventually time-jumping to 2033.
—Jessica Sager, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025
This post contains spoilers for Episode 3 of The Last of Us Season 2.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
This article contains spoilers for Season 2 of HBO's The Last of Us.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spoiler
Cite this Entry
“Spoiler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spoiler. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spoiler
noun
spoil·er
ˈspȯi-lər 
1
a
: one that spoils
b
: one (as a political candidate) having little or no chance of winning but capable of depriving a rival of success
2
: a device (as on an airplane or automobile) used to disrupt airflow and decrease lift
3
: information about the plot of a book, motion picture, or television program that can spoil a reader's or a viewer's sense of surprise or suspense
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