white-knuckle
adjective
white-knuck·le
ˈ(h)wīt-ˈnə-kəl 
variants
or less commonly white-knuckled
: marked by, causing, or experiencing tense nervousness
a white-knuckle ride on a roller coaster
a white-knuckle passenger
white-knuckler
noun
plural white-knucklers
The 65-mile speedway connecting Vancouver and the mountain town of Whistler was a white-knuckler for decades.
—
Christian DeBenedetti
Christian DeBenedetti
Examples of white-knuckle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Where to watch: Peacock 'The Order' Based on a true story, the excellent white-knuckle crime thriller casts Jude Law as a weary FBI agent who partners with a young Oregon cop (Tye Sheridan) when a series of terrorist attacks hint at the involvement of a neo-Nazi group with nefarious plans.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s white-knuckle action film set during the second Iraq War reconstructs a traumatic military operation from the memory of the soldiers who lived it.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025
Every major industry was represented, from health care to defense, signaling that artificial intelligence is expanding at a white-knuckle clip.
—Frank Holmes, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
There’s also a white-knuckle brush with disaster during an international commercial flight and a trippy zip through the Berlin night that’s like Run Lola Run on a bicycle.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for white-knuckle
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Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s white-knuckle action film set during the second Iraq War reconstructs a traumatic military operation from the memory of the soldiers who lived it.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025
Every major industry was represented, from health care to defense, signaling that artificial intelligence is expanding at a white-knuckle clip.
—Frank Holmes, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
There’s also a white-knuckle brush with disaster during an international commercial flight and a trippy zip through the Berlin night that’s like Run Lola Run on a bicycle.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for white-knuckle
Cite this Entry
“White-knuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white-knuckle. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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