: one that thrills
especially
: a work of fiction or drama designed to hold the interest by the use of a high degree of intrigue, adventure, or suspense
Examples of thriller in a Sentence
His latest novel is a political thriller.
those television awards are hardly thrillers since the same people win year after year
Recent Examples on the Web
Directed by Sam Raimi, the darkly comic horror-thriller Send Help stars Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien as co-workers stranded on a desert island.
—
Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 8 Feb. 2026
Esty Shapiro, a 19-year-old woman from a Hasidic Jewish sect in Brooklyn, pockets a secret wad of cash, picks up a passport, and hops on a plane to Berlin, all set to the tense soundtrack of a thriller.
—Stephanie Bai, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
Disney and 20th Century’s bloody comedy-thriller, which follows a dorky, survival-savvy employee (Rachel McAdams) and her douchey younger boss (Dylan O’Brien) who become stranded together on a remote island, should add $9 million to $10 million by Sunday for a total domestic gross of $34 million.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
In the Michael Apted First-Time Theatrical Feature Film category, Charlie Polinger won for the dramatic thriller The Plague tonight, topping a nominees list that included Ava Victor (Sorry, Baby), Hasan Hadi (The President’s Cake), Harry Lighton (Pillion) and Alex Russell (Lurker).
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thriller
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Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 8 Feb. 2026
Esty Shapiro, a 19-year-old woman from a Hasidic Jewish sect in Brooklyn, pockets a secret wad of cash, picks up a passport, and hops on a plane to Berlin, all set to the tense soundtrack of a thriller.
—Stephanie Bai, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
Disney and 20th Century’s bloody comedy-thriller, which follows a dorky, survival-savvy employee (Rachel McAdams) and her douchey younger boss (Dylan O’Brien) who become stranded together on a remote island, should add $9 million to $10 million by Sunday for a total domestic gross of $34 million.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
In the Michael Apted First-Time Theatrical Feature Film category, Charlie Polinger won for the dramatic thriller The Plague tonight, topping a nominees list that included Ava Victor (Sorry, Baby), Hasan Hadi (The President’s Cake), Harry Lighton (Pillion) and Alex Russell (Lurker).
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thriller
Cite this Entry
“Thriller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thriller. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thriller
noun
thril·ler
ˈthril-ər 
: one that thrills
especially
: a work of fiction or drama with a great deal of action, mystery, adventure, or suspense
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