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 from Agatha All Along. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 1 Nov. 2024

This piece contains spoilers about Agatha All Along’s finale. —Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 1 Nov. 2024

By Quispe López and Fran Tirado October 31, 2024 This article contains spoilers for Agatha All Along episodes 8 and 9. —Quispe López, Them, 31 Oct. 2024

This post contains spoilers for Season Two of The Diplomat, which is now streaming on Netflix. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024

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