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
Dealing with this colorful psychopath, Christian Bale's hero wrestles with personal choices and his gig as Gotham's resident protector in a white-knuckle affair about the fine line between good and evil.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 July 2025
Wes Craven's white-knuckle thriller, now streaming on Netflix, turns 20 next month.
—EW.com, 7 July 2025
Of course, Houston, which had won seven consecutive games vs. Colorado entering the day, made the Rockies white-knuckle it in the ninth.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 3 July 2025
Sudeikis shared his fondest memory of Wendt in a 2017 interview with The A.V. Club, recalling a white-knuckle drive in his uncle's BMW with his dad.
—Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for white-knuckle
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Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 July 2025
Wes Craven's white-knuckle thriller, now streaming on Netflix, turns 20 next month.
—EW.com, 7 July 2025
Of course, Houston, which had won seven consecutive games vs. Colorado entering the day, made the Rockies white-knuckle it in the ninth.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 3 July 2025
Sudeikis shared his fondest memory of Wendt in a 2017 interview with The A.V. Club, recalling a white-knuckle drive in his uncle's BMW with his dad.
—Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 1 June 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 22 Jul. 2025.
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