: 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
Produced before enactment of the Motion Picture Code, these gripping films dominated both the box office and the Oscars.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
From shaping complex, layered roles to creating a world that feels both opulent and unsettling, the panel will unpack the storytelling choices that bring this gripping narrative to life.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026
This gripping drama takes place in a single apartment and is designed to look like a lone, continuous take without any identifiable cuts.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Apr. 2026
Look out for talks by Sarah Wynn-Williams on her bestselling memoir lifting the lid on her time at Facebook; Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall discussing his campaign to get people to eat more fibre; and Anthony Horowitz talking about his latest gripping thriller with author Joe Haddow.
—Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 26 Mar. 2026
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Peter Bart, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2026
From shaping complex, layered roles to creating a world that feels both opulent and unsettling, the panel will unpack the storytelling choices that bring this gripping narrative to life.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026
This gripping drama takes place in a single apartment and is designed to look like a lone, continuous take without any identifiable cuts.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Apr. 2026
Look out for talks by Sarah Wynn-Williams on her bestselling memoir lifting the lid on her time at Facebook; Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall discussing his campaign to get people to eat more fibre; and Anthony Horowitz talking about his latest gripping thriller with author Joe Haddow.
—Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gripping
Cite this Entry
“Gripping.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gripping. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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