thumbnailtraitor
/ˈθʌmneɪlˌtreɪtə/nounVerified NewA preview image, autoplay clip, or episode title that gives away a plot point the viewer had carefully avoided.
Spoiler discipline usually fails not in conversation but in the interface. The grid of images knows the ending and wears it on its face.
Etym. — thumbnail + traitor — the interface personified as the friend who spoils.
Rel. — spoilersunset · keywordmoat
Novelty check: NEW · checked 2026-11-08
review evidence: wordstoreview/review-batch-3-10-media.md
Evidence log
No query log recorded.
Method: Editorial batch review — per-word exact-form web search (WebSearch/Tavily) per docs/REVIEW-criteria.md §2