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.com, 16 May 2025
Markets are on a destructive roller-coaster ride across the globe, while inflation — and the cost of production — is rising.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 15 May 2025
Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 2025
The second major of the season at Quail Hollow was nothing short of a roller coaster ride for professional golfers.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
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Adjective
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.com, 16 May 2025
Markets are on a destructive roller-coaster ride across the globe, while inflation — and the cost of production — is rising.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 15 May 2025
Noun
By midday Thursday, major rides such as the Stardust Racers roller coaster and Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment showed waits of 15 minutes or less.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 May 2025
The second major of the season at Quail Hollow was nothing short of a roller coaster ride for professional golfers.
—Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for roller-coaster
Cite this Entry
“Roller-coaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roller-coaster. Accessed 31 May. 2025.
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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