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heartstopper

American  
[hahrt-stop-er] / ˈhɑrtˌstɒp ər /

noun

  1. something so frightening or emotionally gripping as to make one's heart seem to stop beating.

    We didn't crash, but it was a heartstopper.

Etymology

Origin of heartstopper

heart + stopper

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Of course there was the heartstopper of the television match official and the examination of Jac Morgan's clearout earlier in the move.

From BBC • Jul. 26, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.