as in fascinates
to attract or delight as if by magic
the clown captivated the toddlers with his balloon tricks
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Recent Examples of captivates
Inspired by the tradition of the divine feminine, the energetic space captivates with colors, abstract wall art and a goddess sculpture done by the dynamic sister artist duo’s mother.
—
Spencer Whaley, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Actress and filmmaker Zoë Kravitz captivates as Yvonne in Darren Aronofsky’s (Black Swan, The Whale) latest homerun of a film, Caught Stealing.
—Malik Peay, Essence, 27 Aug. 2025
The division is separated by less than a week of games, and with all three teams making acquisitions to advance their cause, the final stretch of baseball in the American League West should be a race that captivates audiences as the division rivals duke it out.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2025
Spencer Whaley, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Actress and filmmaker Zoë Kravitz captivates as Yvonne in Darren Aronofsky’s (Black Swan, The Whale) latest homerun of a film, Caught Stealing.
—Malik Peay, Essence, 27 Aug. 2025
The division is separated by less than a week of games, and with all three teams making acquisitions to advance their cause, the final stretch of baseball in the American League West should be a race that captivates audiences as the division rivals duke it out.
—Hunter Mulholland, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivates
Verb
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The school’s origins are cultish, an area that fascinates Martin.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
12 Oct. 2025
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Ange Postecoglou fascinates me.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With showy wine-red blossoms that perfume the garden with the distinctive aromas of chocolate and vanilla from mid-summer through fall, chocolate cosmos entices butterflies and curious gardeners alike.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
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The structure is illustrated below, with one player positioned on the byline and another level with the penalty area to form a triangle that entices opponents out to defend.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Everything about the scene seduces the viewer into what dining while traveling in the most luxurious fashion could be, and once was.—
Kristin L. Wolfe,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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In his youth, the blue-eyed Stamp was widely considered one of the most handsome men onscreen, and Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini used that to peculiar effect in Teorema (1968), casting the actor as a nameless and wordless visitor who seduces an entire household.—
Rhett Bartlett,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.—
Humberto Basilio,
Scientific American,
17 Oct. 2025
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As if what delights and obsesses us must have a purpose.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captivates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivates. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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