roll·er-coast·er
ˈrō-lər-ˌkō-stər 
ˈrō-lə-ˌkō-
: marked by numerous ups and downs
an entertainer's roller-coaster career
roll·er coast·er
ˈrō-lər-ˌkō-stər
ˈrō-lē-ˌkō-
1
: an elevated railway (as in an amusement park) constructed with sharp curves and steep inclines on which cars roll
2
: something resembling a roller coaster
especially
: behavior, events, or experiences characterized by sudden and extreme changes
an emotional roller coaster
Examples of roller-coaster in a Sentence
Noun
We went for a ride on the roller coaster.
The divorce was an emotional roller coaster for both of them.
Recent Examples on the Web
Trefis Team, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
The cousins’ eventual arrival at the home Grandma Dory left behind to escape the Nazis is handled in a way that’s unsentimental yet also credible and thoroughly touching, with a gentle twist that nicely serves the arc of David and Benji’s roller-coaster relationship.
—Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Csaba Toth, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Some parts of the fair are geared for kids, others for a mixed crowd, like the pirate ship and roller coasters.
—Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for roller-coaster 
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Adjective
And as a group, HQ Portfolio stocks provided better returns with less risk versus the benchmark index; less of a roller-coaster ride as evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics.
—Trefis Team, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
The cousins’ eventual arrival at the home Grandma Dory left behind to escape the Nazis is handled in a way that’s unsentimental yet also credible and thoroughly touching, with a gentle twist that nicely serves the arc of David and Benji’s roller-coaster relationship.
—Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
The talk was a roller coaster that created some truly meaningful conversation.
—Csaba Toth, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Some parts of the fair are geared for kids, others for a mixed crowd, like the pirate ship and roller coasters.
—Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for roller-coaster
Dictionary Entries Near roller-coaster
Cite this Entry
“Roller-coaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roller-coaster. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
roller coaster
noun
roll·er coast·er
ˈrō-lər-ˌkō-stər
ˈrō-lē-ˌkō-
: an elevated railway (as in an amusement park) with sharp curves and steep slopes on which cars roll
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