hair-raiser

noun

ˈher-ˌrā-zər How to pronounce hair-raiser (audio)
Definition of hair-raisernext
as in thriller
something (as a close contest) that induces much suspense as to its outcome since they had been dating for five years, her answer to his proposal wasn't exactly a hair-raiser

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hair-raiser And the Halloween-eve hair-raiser adds a cackling skeleton to a horror arcade of ghoulish news for EVs. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2023 The streamer has a deep bench of horror films from all eras of cinema among its offerings, from influential classics like Nosferatu (1922) to newer hair-raisers like Possessor (2020), and all kinds of thrillers and chillers in between. — Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026 In Hokum, the Cork native transports viewers to Ireland’s remote and possibly haunted Bilberry Woods Hotel alongside prickly American author Ohm Baumann (Adam Scott) for a good ol' fashioned hair-raiser of a ghost story. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hair-raiser
thriller
Noun
  • Readers can’t seem to get enough of thrillers and mysteries, and there’s no shortage of writers eager to deliver them.
    — Suzanne Van Atten, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
  • Obsession, the blockbuster horror thriller starring Inde Navarrette and Michael Johnston, hit another major box office milestone over the weekend.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of thriller

Browse Nearby Words

hairpins
hair-raiser
hair-raisers
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Cite this Entry

“Hair-raiser.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hair-raiser. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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