: 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
Biel told us at InStyle of the gripping show.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026
Contoro uses sensors and cameras to help guide its robotic arms, which have special gripping capabilities that enable them to suction boxes from the sides, rather than only the top.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 30 Dec. 2025
What should be a gripping thriller centered on new, uncharted technology and questionable loyalties degenerates into a jumbled mess.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025
It was beautifully shot, well-acted, and gripping.
—Anastasia Sanger, Glamour, 22 Dec. 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.
Meg Walters, InStyle, 4 Jan. 2026
Contoro uses sensors and cameras to help guide its robotic arms, which have special gripping capabilities that enable them to suction boxes from the sides, rather than only the top.
—Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 30 Dec. 2025
What should be a gripping thriller centered on new, uncharted technology and questionable loyalties degenerates into a jumbled mess.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025
It was beautifully shot, well-acted, and gripping.
—Anastasia Sanger, Glamour, 22 Dec. 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 6 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share