as in appeal
the power of irresistible attraction
by some mysterious method of captivation, the therapist is able to evoke a response from even the shiest of children
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of captivation
Ultimately, Fonda opened up to dating Turner, and their relationship became a point of captivation for the media, as the liberal Hollywood star and the conservative, audacious businessman appeared to be total opposites.
—
Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
Wembanyama’s captivation with the intricacies of space travel was apparent.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
Wembanyama’s captivation with the intricacies of space travel was apparent.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivation
Noun
-
Garrincha’s appeal transcended the bounds of the pitch.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
Safe transparency and being open—not perfect—builds trust, credibility and lasting appeal.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Savvy European governments and businesses should be able to find ways to support the domestic economic interests of Gulf countries, while also demonstrating the attractiveness of investment opportunities on their own continent.—
Dr. Robert Mogielnicki,
semafor.com,
19 May 2026
-
Looksmaxxers tend to believe that attractiveness can be scientifically measured, citing numbers and inspecting facial symmetry, completely ignoring cultural context, personal preferences and charisma.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
The combined disgust, discomfort, ignorance, and fascination with our Indigeneity that unsettled my aunties and fascinated my cousins made more sense to me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
-
Torres has an ongoing fascination with how toys, culture, and real-life quirks intersect; his wonderful feature film Problemista continues in this vein.—
Jesse Hassenger,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
The wider football community, too, was now awake to his otherworldly charms.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
Book three of Kennedy’s Off-Campus series, The Score, follows Dean, who’s something of a playboy thanks to his irresistible charm and good looks.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
28 May 2026
Noun
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The family is now living off-planet with a robotic assistant, in a scene inspired by Disney Legend and Imagineer John Hench, who helped create the original attraction.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
-
This can include easier jobs, like fresh paint jobs on facades and park clean-ups overnight, or more intense projects like refreshing and reimagining attractions.—
Megan duBois,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Their easy, hedonic seductiveness emerges, too, via Yuskavage’s lush, rounded, fleshy brushstrokes (a different sort of stroke material, for the patriarchy or for anyone else), which render everything from boobs to bellies to nipples smooth and swollen, like a succulent fruit fixing to burst.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
-
Their frustration is apparent in a letter Langston Hughes wrote to fellow Harlem Renaissance writer Arna Bontemps, complaining about the seductiveness of Hollywood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Distilled spirits, such as brandy, are added to these wines to raise the alcohol content as well as the sweetness.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
-
The sweetness of the Deborah-Ava relationship eventually became a nice blanket in which Hacks swaddled its viewers, its cozy intent pervading not just the narrative but just about every other aspect of the show.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Captivation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivation. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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