: taking a powerful hold upon one's interest or feelings
a gripping thriller
Shabba Ranks has a gripping baritone voice that ranges from bedroom purr to locker-room-boast roar.—
Mark Coleman
Mark Coleman
grippingly
adverb
a grippingly honest performance
Examples of gripping in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lee, the longtime muse of Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang, carries Cheung’s yearning and joy, his guilt and sorrow, in a performance that’s all the more gripping for being measured and contained.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 May 2024
Biden is engaged in a close and gripping re-election campaign against Trump.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 17 May 2024
The Power of the Franchise: Why is this long-running film series so gripping and effective?
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 15 May 2024
Oishi provides a gripping account of how his imprisonment left an emotional scar and forced him to come to terms with his identity.
—Jonathan Van Harmelen, Baltimore Sun, 7 Apr. 2024
Editor’s picks On the flip side, a compelling antagonist is equally crucial in creating a gripping and memorable thriller.
—Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2024
Using the history of antisemitism against Jewish pawnbrokers (one of the few professions permitted to them in the 19th century), Grossman crafts a gripping tale of a woman who has swallowed the prejudices of society as surely as a poisonous potion.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 May 2024
Coverage of the search became even more gripping and hopeless when one of the rescue helicopters crashed while trying to navigate the difficult terrain, severely injuring two of the occupants.
—Leyton Cassidy, Longreads, 7 May 2024
On one side, beside a floating boom designed to trap debris, a mechanical gripping device lifted out a tangle of aquatic weeds.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 May 2024
Biden is engaged in a close and gripping re-election campaign against Trump.
—The Editorial Board, Orange County Register, 17 May 2024
The Power of the Franchise: Why is this long-running film series so gripping and effective?
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 15 May 2024
Oishi provides a gripping account of how his imprisonment left an emotional scar and forced him to come to terms with his identity.
—Jonathan Van Harmelen, Baltimore Sun, 7 Apr. 2024
Editor’s picks On the flip side, a compelling antagonist is equally crucial in creating a gripping and memorable thriller.
—Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2024
Using the history of antisemitism against Jewish pawnbrokers (one of the few professions permitted to them in the 19th century), Grossman crafts a gripping tale of a woman who has swallowed the prejudices of society as surely as a poisonous potion.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 May 2024
Coverage of the search became even more gripping and hopeless when one of the rescue helicopters crashed while trying to navigate the difficult terrain, severely injuring two of the occupants.
—Leyton Cassidy, Longreads, 7 May 2024
On one side, beside a floating boom designed to trap debris, a mechanical gripping device lifted out a tangle of aquatic weeds.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gripping.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near gripping
Cite this Entry
“Gripping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gripping. Accessed 31 May. 2024.
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