white-knuckle

adjective

white-knuck·​le ˈ(h)wīt-ˈnə-kəl How to pronounce white-knuckle (audio)
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

Examples of white-knuckle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Between the pandemic, inflation, rising government debts, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, China’s economic woes, and a white-knuckle U.S. election, many of their warnings have come to feel like realities. Greg McKenna, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024 Netflix’s white-knuckle slasher-cum-survival thriller stars Yellowstone’s Kelsey Asbille as Iris, a grieving mother seeking alone time and Finn Wittrock as Richard, the serial killer who hunts her. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2024 Its story beats haven’t changed much, retaining the white-knuckle jump scares and looming dread of the original. Aimee Hart, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2024 Mozer tells the Nova massacre story as a white-knuckle action thriller, interviewing about a dozen survivors of the attack — all of whom are in their 20s — to detail their fear, pain and, to an extent, their hopes for the future. Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for white-knuckle 

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of white-knuckle was in 1872

Dictionary Entries Near white-knuckle

Cite this Entry

“White-knuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white-knuckle. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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