in thrall
idiom
literary
: in a state of being controlled or strongly influenced by someone or something
He was completely in thrall to her.
He was completely in her thrall.
Examples of in thrall in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In fact, the entire city of Tehran was in thrall to the notion that something was on the verge of happening, a rumour that had begun spreading earlier that day when several stalls at the bazaar were boarded up.
—
Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
For those of us who’ve had something close to a religious experience while watching, say, Singin’ in the Rain or Gold Diggers of 1933, the choice to use musical numbers to portray a person in thrall to complete abandon is a no-brainer.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2025
However, until recently, the same applied to support for Ukraine, and that sentiment has rapidly shifted among Republicans in thrall to the mercurial commander-in-chief.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
An overriding democratic majority of Greeks continue to favor meaningful limits on immigration for more moderate reasons—not because the public is in thrall to neo-Nazi ideology.
—Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in thrall
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Literary Hub, 8 Jan. 2026
For those of us who’ve had something close to a religious experience while watching, say, Singin’ in the Rain or Gold Diggers of 1933, the choice to use musical numbers to portray a person in thrall to complete abandon is a no-brainer.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2025
However, until recently, the same applied to support for Ukraine, and that sentiment has rapidly shifted among Republicans in thrall to the mercurial commander-in-chief.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
An overriding democratic majority of Greeks continue to favor meaningful limits on immigration for more moderate reasons—not because the public is in thrall to neo-Nazi ideology.
—Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in thrall
Cite this Entry
“In thrall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20thrall. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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