1
as in clenched
to have or keep in one's hands
gripped the handlebars tightly and raced down the hill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fascinated
to hold the attention of as if by a spell
that true crime story gripped me as much as any whodunit
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in interested
to hold the attention of
that movie will grip any true sports car fan
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in grasped
to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms
the baby gripped my fingers and wouldn't let go
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of gripped
Why were yuppies suddenly gripped by a fever for investment banking?
—
Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
State and federal investigators returned Tuesday to a North Texas home at the center of the disappearance of a 6-year-old boy, digging up parts of the backyard as authorities pursue new leads in a case that has gripped the community for years.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 13 May 2026
In a dystopian world where citizens wear white overalls and are gripped by fear of foxes, struggling couple Jude and Sam are visited by young foxfinder, William, sent by the state to inspect their farm.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 11 May 2026
Mali, a former French colony long gripped by insurgency, is governed by a military junta following consecutive coups in 2020 and 2021.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
In 2020, as the pandemic gripped the world, Cord Jefferson, Max Read, Emma Carmichael and Leah Beckmann spent their days in a Zoom writers room immersed in a project that hit close to home.
—Frank Digiacomo, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
Scientists and public health experts are gripped by the hantavirus situation too, but for different reasons.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 7 May 2026
During their stroll, Monroe stands over a subway grate as the whoosh of a passing train blows the skirt of her white halter dress up, a welcome respite from the sweltering heatwave that has gripped the city.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
After jubilation gripped the players against Everton, Nuno walked on the field to congratulate Wilson.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
State and federal investigators returned Tuesday to a North Texas home at the center of the disappearance of a 6-year-old boy, digging up parts of the backyard as authorities pursue new leads in a case that has gripped the community for years.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 13 May 2026
In a dystopian world where citizens wear white overalls and are gripped by fear of foxes, struggling couple Jude and Sam are visited by young foxfinder, William, sent by the state to inspect their farm.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 11 May 2026
Mali, a former French colony long gripped by insurgency, is governed by a military junta following consecutive coups in 2020 and 2021.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
In 2020, as the pandemic gripped the world, Cord Jefferson, Max Read, Emma Carmichael and Leah Beckmann spent their days in a Zoom writers room immersed in a project that hit close to home.
—Frank Digiacomo, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
Scientists and public health experts are gripped by the hantavirus situation too, but for different reasons.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 7 May 2026
During their stroll, Monroe stands over a subway grate as the whoosh of a passing train blows the skirt of her white halter dress up, a welcome respite from the sweltering heatwave that has gripped the city.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026
After jubilation gripped the players against Everton, Nuno walked on the field to congratulate Wilson.
—Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gripped
Verb
-
Tuanzebe—born in Bunia, raised in Rochdale—is sprinting toward the corner flag, fists clenched at his waist, triumphant.—
Franklin Leonard,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
-
Knives are clutched, teeth are clenched, and a desperate Russian ex-pat yells loud enough for their long-dead ancestors to hear all the way back in the motherland.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Case owned one of the few pianos in town, and the instrument greatly fascinated Powell.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 May 2026
-
The idea of the ouroboros (a snake eating its tail) has always fascinated me.—
Peter Bogdanovich,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
That was a motif that kept coming up and that interested me, this war analogy.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
As to why the format interested him, Hawley pointed to a similarity with Fargo.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And the lecture hall on that campus now features a large, ornate mural of a soccer ball being grasped by the hands of two people — freshly painted by the 2004 Morningside graduate as the city of Inglewood prepares to host eight World Cup games at SoFi Stadium starting next month.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
American has grasped that this will be a tournament when travel is experienced through friction as much as glamour, and that a brand which removes the challenges is remembered differently.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Knives are clutched, teeth are clenched, and a desperate Russian ex-pat yells loud enough for their long-dead ancestors to hear all the way back in the motherland.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
-
Roach clutched a black Mini Kelly (of course Hermès gave him the best color) and his long black hair never looked a strand out of place.—
Elise Taylor,
Vanity Fair,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
The march always enchanted and created a fervent buzz that enveloped the town, driving to them a ready audience.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
Investors became enchanted with Anthropic's Claude models, which have been constantly updated with new versions.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Citadel Securities is intrigued by prediction markets, its president told me last month.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
19 May 2026
-
Even at a new track without a prominent horse, many respondents say they’re still intrigued by Saturday’s event.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
Daniel S. Levine,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
-
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gripped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gripped. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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