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
After the 1935 hurricane hastened the railway’s demise, the railroad bed was used for the new road and some of the railroad bridges were converted for cars — narrow, white-knuckle affairs that live on in memories, in ruins and in a span that’s recently been revived as a pedestrian and biking path.
—Marnie Hunter, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2025
Where to watch: Peacock 'The Order' Based on a true story, the excellent white-knuckle crime thriller casts Jude Law as a weary FBI agent who partners with a young Oregon cop (Tye Sheridan) when a series of terrorist attacks hint at the involvement of a neo-Nazi group with nefarious plans.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s white-knuckle action film set during the second Iraq War reconstructs a traumatic military operation from the memory of the soldiers who lived it.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025
Every major industry was represented, from health care to defense, signaling that artificial intelligence is expanding at a white-knuckle clip.
—Frank Holmes, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for white-knuckle
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Marnie Hunter, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2025
Where to watch: Peacock 'The Order' Based on a true story, the excellent white-knuckle crime thriller casts Jude Law as a weary FBI agent who partners with a young Oregon cop (Tye Sheridan) when a series of terrorist attacks hint at the involvement of a neo-Nazi group with nefarious plans.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s white-knuckle action film set during the second Iraq War reconstructs a traumatic military operation from the memory of the soldiers who lived it.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 17 Apr. 2025
Every major industry was represented, from health care to defense, signaling that artificial intelligence is expanding at a white-knuckle clip.
—Frank Holmes, Forbes, 24 Mar. 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 12 May. 2025.
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