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captivates

verb

present tense third-person singular of captivate
as in fascinates
to attract or delight as if by magic the clown captivated the toddlers with his balloon tricks

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 captivates Carrero captivates in the dark comedy, as part of an ensemble cast that helped earn the series a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series in its second season. — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026 Decades later, the story still captivates Time hasn’t diminished people’s fascination with the crime. — Tom Mooney, The Providence Journal, 14 Aug. 2026 Celebrated for its genteel Scandinavian minimalism, the brand embraces a deliberate and elevated design philosophy that captivates with its uniqueness. — Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 5 Aug. 2026 The Hitchcockian plot captivates from the get-go as a sort-of writer talks to someone off camera about his obsession for shadowing strangers. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 14 July 2026 Perhaps, then, what captivates us is a kind of redemption story—the seductive idea that technology can not only repair nature but absolve us for having degraded it. — Taylor Dotson, Scientific American, 10 July 2026 Holland, who had important roles in Selma and Moonlight, always captivates. — Stephen Farber, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026 The tournament touches and captivates nearly every corner of the globe. — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 8 June 2026 Sure, there are several social butterflies across the zodiac—Leo, Sagittarius, Aquarius, to name a few—but Geminis are famous for their magnetic eccentricity which captivates just about anyone in their orbit. — Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 21 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivates
  1. fascinates
  2. entices
  3. enchants
  4. delights
  5. seduces
Verb
  • What fascinates me most isn't simply whether Wagner can squeeze 621 miles out of this massive battery.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Gauna has filmed hundreds, maybe thousands of great white sharks across Southern California, and still their every movement, every action, fascinates him.
    — Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of fascinates
Verb
  • The high-concept thriller stars Valeria Bruni Tedeschi as a demonic character called The Stranger, who entices a young mother played by Jasmine Trinca into forging a Faustian pact.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
  • All of this casts doubt on whether the event will pull the kind of star power that entices TV networks to break their regular prime-time programming and compel viewers to skip an NFL game to tune in.
    — Daniel Strauss, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of entices
Verb
  • Allegheny National Forest, just around 90 minutes from Erie, Pennsylvania, enchants with rolling peaks that reflect off calm, paddle-friendly waterways.
    — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 7 June 2026
  • Ella has shades of Holly Hunter's intense, workaholic producer Jane from Brooks' 1987 masterpiece Broadcast News, the smartest person in any room who both exhausts and enchants everyone around her.
    — Esther Zuckerman, Time, 12 Dec. 2025
Definition of enchants
Verb
  • Now that the greige days are finally behind us, a glint of sparkle truly delights.
    — Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Those 30 lucky owners should experience exceptional throttle response that delights.
    — Joel Feder, The Drive, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of delights
Verb
  • On his final voyage, Gulliver meets the Houyhnhnms, a race of supremely intelligent horses that follow the wisdom of reason and tradition rather than the speculation of science and technology that seduces the Laputans.
    — Dónal Gill, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Andie, as research for an article about modern dating, seduces Benjamin and then transforms herself into the girlfriend from hell.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of seduces

Browse Nearby Words

captivated
captivates
captivating
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Cite this Entry

“Captivates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivates. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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