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
The publication calls it a white-knuckle favorite standing more than 200 feet high and featuring outrageous maneuvers.
—Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Sep. 2025
Advertisement Advertisement That filmmaking philosophy resulted in several modern-day drawn-from-the-headlines classics, including titles like Captain Phillips and United 93, and even informed the breathtaking white-knuckle aesthetics of his Bourne franchise films.
—Tomris Laffly, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Earlier in the season, I was frustrated with Rainbeau’s white-knuckle method of dealing with Solène.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2025
BofA doesn’t project any scenarios in the event of a recession, but with the economy stalling out for job-hoppers, the workforce is in white-knuckle mode, holding on tight.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for white-knuckle
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Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 10 Sep. 2025
Advertisement Advertisement That filmmaking philosophy resulted in several modern-day drawn-from-the-headlines classics, including titles like Captain Phillips and United 93, and even informed the breathtaking white-knuckle aesthetics of his Bourne franchise films.
—Tomris Laffly, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Earlier in the season, I was frustrated with Rainbeau’s white-knuckle method of dealing with Solène.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2025
BofA doesn’t project any scenarios in the event of a recession, but with the economy stalling out for job-hoppers, the workforce is in white-knuckle mode, holding on tight.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 Aug. 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 14 Sep. 2025.
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