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
There's plenty left to mine in future seasons, but the season 4 finale, with its lack of white-knuckle cliffhangers, could potentially serve as the series' swan song.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 7 Feb. 2025
This film is a primal howl, a white-knuckle ride that explores the devastating fragility of the human condition.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025
Here, local ornithologists and wildlife experts share the best places to see our national bird this winter — no white-knuckle drive required.
—Jamie Siebrase, The Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2025
This article contains spoilers for The Recruit season 1.
Netflix's white-knuckle spy show The Recruit returns for its second season on Jan. 30, 2025, which is good news for those still chewing on season 1's cliffhanger ending.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for white-knuckle 
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.
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 7 Feb. 2025
This film is a primal howl, a white-knuckle ride that explores the devastating fragility of the human condition.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025
Here, local ornithologists and wildlife experts share the best places to see our national bird this winter — no white-knuckle drive required.
—Jamie Siebrase, The Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2025
This article contains spoilers for The Recruit season 1.
Netflix's white-knuckle spy show The Recruit returns for its second season on Jan. 30, 2025, which is good news for those still chewing on season 1's cliffhanger ending.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for white-knuckle
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 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share