suspense
noun
sus·pense
sə-ˈspen(t)s 
1
: the state of being suspended : suspension
2
a
: mental uncertainty : anxiety
b
: pleasant excitement as to a decision or outcome
a novel of suspense
3
: the state or character of being undecided or doubtful : indecisiveness
Synonyms
Examples of suspense in a Sentence
I can't bear the suspense.
The suspense builds as the story progresses.
Alfred Hitchcock was a master of suspense.
The movie is a suspense thriller.
Recent Examples on the Web
Now with principal photography underway in Cadiz, southern Spain, the suspense thriller captures the devastation of friendships, lives and the whole province by a rampant drug trade, action also expanding to the Straits of Gibraltar.
—
John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
The Nuggets caught the Lakers out of position on the way back down the court, made a three, and on the next possession got a steal on a lackadaisical James pass to make sure there’d be no late-game suspense.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
His visuals for the ensuing road trip are provocative, and his fluency with action yields genuine suspense, but the protagonists are little more than archetypes with conveniently old-school philosophies of journalism.
—The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2024
The Israeli military’s departure from southern Gaza over the weekend has left the devastated territory in a state of suspense as active fighting there receded on Monday to its lowest ebb since a brief truce with Hamas in November.
—Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Like the Heisenberg-verse shows, Ripley believes deeply in Chekhov’s Gun, introducing details early in episodes that are clearly going to come back later and cause problems for our protagonist, and turning our recognition of that into a weapon to ratchet up the level of suspense.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
This builds suspense for the audience about this seemingly evil and obvious charlatan.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024
Before Tuesday’s game, there was plenty of suspense.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Given its dramatic turns and suspense, the show easily appeals to true crime lovers trying to get into business.
—Eda Yu, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Apr. 2024
John Hopewell, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
The Nuggets caught the Lakers out of position on the way back down the court, made a three, and on the next possession got a steal on a lackadaisical James pass to make sure there’d be no late-game suspense.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
His visuals for the ensuing road trip are provocative, and his fluency with action yields genuine suspense, but the protagonists are little more than archetypes with conveniently old-school philosophies of journalism.
—The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2024
The Israeli military’s departure from southern Gaza over the weekend has left the devastated territory in a state of suspense as active fighting there receded on Monday to its lowest ebb since a brief truce with Hamas in November.
—Patrick Kingsley, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Like the Heisenberg-verse shows, Ripley believes deeply in Chekhov’s Gun, introducing details early in episodes that are clearly going to come back later and cause problems for our protagonist, and turning our recognition of that into a weapon to ratchet up the level of suspense.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
This builds suspense for the audience about this seemingly evil and obvious charlatan.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024
Before Tuesday’s game, there was plenty of suspense.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Given its dramatic turns and suspense, the show easily appeals to true crime lovers trying to get into business.
—Eda Yu, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'suspense.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near suspense
Cite this Entry
“Suspense.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suspense. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
suspense
noun
sus·pense
sə-ˈspen(t)s
1
: the state of being suspended : suspension
2
a
: mental uncertainty : anxiety
b
: pleasant excitement caused by wondering what will happen
a novel of suspense
3
: the state of being undecided
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