: 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
Hole in the Sky: A Novel: $30 at Amazon
A gripping thriller—and Native American first contact story—from the New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse, Daniel H. Wilson, who is a Cherokee Nation citizen and has worked as a threat forecaster for the United States Air Force.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Because the medical stuff is incredible, but watching Robby attempt to hold himself together for this entire harrowing shift has been just as gripping.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
That plan adds tension to the relatively flimsy stakes of the film, turning a straightforward escape plot into a more gripping game of cat and mouse.
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2025
Though Canada’s election began in earnest only late last month, public opinion polls have captured a gripping political narrative that has been unfolding since the start of the year.
—Kaleigh Rogers, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gripping
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.
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 28 Apr. 2025
Because the medical stuff is incredible, but watching Robby attempt to hold himself together for this entire harrowing shift has been just as gripping.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025
That plan adds tension to the relatively flimsy stakes of the film, turning a straightforward escape plot into a more gripping game of cat and mouse.
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2025
Though Canada’s election began in earnest only late last month, public opinion polls have captured a gripping political narrative that has been unfolding since the start of the year.
—Kaleigh Rogers, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gripping
Cite this Entry
“Gripping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gripping. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share