throuple

noun

throu·​ple ˈthrə-pəl How to pronounce throuple (audio)
plural throuples
: a consensual romantic relationship involving three people
My girlfriend's ex-husband has moved into a flat with two women. They're all sleeping in one bed and openly telling the world they're a proud throuple.Jane O'Gorman
On their first date, he revealed he was polyamorous and hoped she wouldn't mind. He'd been part of a throuple that had just given their third the heave-ho.Taffy Brodesser-Akner
… TV shows and movies that depict throuples, polycules and other permutations of open relationships …Alexandra Alter

Examples of throuple in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the end, Lady Susan even ends up in a throuple of sorts. Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 29 Nov. 2025 The 1997 film starred Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, and Cameron Diaz in a throuple from hell. Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 29 July 2025 Just as the captain finds his happy ending this week, so does our central throuple. Claire Franken, TVLine, 15 May 2025 The bottom line: The White House, led in this case by Vice President Vance, is working as matchmaker for a throuple. Dan Primack, Axios, 2 Apr. 2025 Both Matt and Amani point out that there are many misconceptions about being in a throuple. Liza Esquibias, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025 After all, a quick logline — two friends grow addicted to the heroin-esque touch of an alien and end up in a throuple with him — doesn’t even scratch at the surface of the genre-bending horror-comedy. William Earl, Variety, 28 Jan. 2025 Young couples were forming throuples with the ear-flicking Kohaku. Gary Shteyngart, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

2004, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of throuple was in 2004

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Cite this Entry

“Throuple.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throuple. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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