spoiler

noun

spoil·​er ˈspȯi-lər 

1

a

: one that spoils

b

: one (such as a political candidate) having little or no chance of winning but capable of depriving a rival of success

2

a

: a long narrow plate along the upper surface of an airplane wing that may be raised for reducing lift and increasing drag see airplane illustration

b

: an air deflector on an automobile to reduce the tendency to lift off the road at high speeds

3

: information about the plot of a movie or TV program that can spoil a viewer's sense of surprise or suspense

also : a person who discloses such information

Examples of spoiler in a Sentence

The review contains a few spoilers, so don't read it if you haven't seen the movie.

Recent Examples on the Web

This article contains spoilers for The Last Showgirl. —Mike Miller, EW.com, 11 Jan. 2025

By Megan McCluskey January 9, 2025 9:00 PM EST Warning: This post contains spoilers for the first three episodes of The Traitors Season 3. —Megan McCluskey, TIME, 10 Jan. 2025

Be warned: This page contains spoilers for today’s puzzle. —New York Times Games, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025

Warning: The following contains spoilers from the series premiere of Prime Video‘s On Call. —Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing spoiler

• spoiler alert

Kids Definition

spoiler

noun

spoil·​er ˈspȯi-lər 

1

a

: one that spoils

b

: one (as a political candidate) having little or no chance of winning but capable of depriving a rival of success

2

: a device (as on an airplane or automobile) used to disrupt airflow and decrease lift

3

: information about the plot of a book, motion picture, or television program that can spoil a reader's or a viewer's sense of surprise or suspense