as in interesting
holding the attention or provoking interest
a riveting explanation of light waves that fascinated the class
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in focusing
to fix (as one's attention) steadily toward a central objective
everyone riveted their eyes on the trick that the magician was performing on stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of riveting
ArsTechnica, 11 Apr. 2025
This riveting track, part of Emilia’s upcoming new EP, emerges as a vibrant anthem that radiates desire, confidence and unapologetic feminine energy.
—Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2025
Contributions from Young Miko, Cris Mj, Quevedo, and others also make for a riveting listen.
—Griselda Flores, Billboard, 4 Apr. 2025
The result is a devastating yet riveting work of historical drama.
—Cristina Escobar, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riveting
Adjective
His account of Starliner’s thruster failures—and his desperate efforts to keep the vehicle flying on course—was riveting.
—ArsTechnica, 11 Apr. 2025
This riveting track, part of Emilia’s upcoming new EP, emerges as a vibrant anthem that radiates desire, confidence and unapologetic feminine energy.
—Ingrid Fajardo, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2025
Contributions from Young Miko, Cris Mj, Quevedo, and others also make for a riveting listen.
—Griselda Flores, Billboard, 4 Apr. 2025
The result is a devastating yet riveting work of historical drama.
—Cristina Escobar, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riveting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riveting
Adjective
-
Solid Color Rug This goes-with-everything rug is sure to match your existing decor, while adding a visually interesting pop of texture to any room.—
Maggie Horton,
People.com,
23 Apr. 2025
-
With < 2 months until the end of June, investors can look forward to some interesting catalysts in the weeks ahead.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
State government has been focusing on East Hartford in recent years because the administration of then-Mayor Mike Walsh advanced a series of high-profile, potentially transformative projects.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Pitchers As far as pitching goes, the thesis couldn’t be simpler — do our best to avoid any bias attached to surface stats (outputs) by instead focusing on underlying metrics (inputs).—
John Laghezza,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Cincinnati Bengals have added one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2025 class, selecting Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart with the No. 17 pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.—
Paul Dehner Jr.,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Plus, with Allen valuing speed and aggression, Williams registers as a highly intriguing prospect.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
This led to an explosion of technology development and, with funding concentrating on a smaller number of startups, set the playing field for 2025.—
Jeff Mahler,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
-
Since the trial began, the Amazons have ventured out about three times a week to paste messages on both sides of the ramparts, but mostly concentrating on the intra-muros area near the courthouse.—
Catherine Porter,
New York Times,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
This rule set up a fascinating opportunity to directly compare the health outcomes of two groups of individuals over time.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Their work raises fascinating questions: is there something inherent within imperial systems that leads to overreach?—
Steven Desmyter,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The difference here, apart from the two-on-two setup, is that the background makes the battles more mysterious and engaging.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Conor Coventry is open, engaging and affable, but one question from The Athletic prompts the former West Ham United youth product to pause for thought.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Many of these jobs involve repetitive or rules-based tasks, exactly the kinds AI is rapidly absorbing.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Wagner would be a sleepless highbrow’s favorite; the long, lush, unbroken lines of music share with the white-noise hum of the air-conditioner or the thrum of the painstaking lecture the quality of being absorbing without offering undue eventfulness.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riveting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riveting. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share