as in hero
an attractive and usually famous man
He is the latest in a series teen heartthrobs to capture the attention of many adolescents.
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Recent Examples of heartthrob
James Van Der Beek, a heartthrob who starred in coming-of-age dramas at the dawn of the new millennium, shooting to fame playing the titular character in Dawson’s Creek and in later years mocking his own hunky persona, has died.
—
Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
James Van Der Beek, who played a beloved teen heartthrob at the center of the late '90s and early aughts drama Dawson’s Creek, has died following a battle with colorectal cancer.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Feb. 2026
The series turned Van Der Beek into a youth heartthrob and catapulted him into the national limelight.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
Starring opposite Katie Holmes and with his dashing good looks, Van Der Beek quickly became a teen heartthrob on the coming-of-age series, which ran for six seasons from 1998 to 2003.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heartthrob
Dallas Morning News, 11 Feb. 2026
James Van Der Beek, who played a beloved teen heartthrob at the center of the late '90s and early aughts drama Dawson’s Creek, has died following a battle with colorectal cancer.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Feb. 2026
The series turned Van Der Beek into a youth heartthrob and catapulted him into the national limelight.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 11 Feb. 2026
Starring opposite Katie Holmes and with his dashing good looks, Van Der Beek quickly became a teen heartthrob on the coming-of-age series, which ran for six seasons from 1998 to 2003.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heartthrob
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartthrob
Noun
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An In Memoriam segment paid tribute to a number of late musical icons, with local hero Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, the former Stone Roses bassist who died in November 2025, recognised by The Charlatans’ frontman Tim Burgess.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
28 Feb. 2026
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Boys hockey Ethan Guo was the overtime hero in Marlboro’s 6-5 victory over Diman in the Div.—
Tyler McManus,
Boston Herald,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Recent Democratic stars rising out of Texas titillated the base, not the middle let alone the right.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
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The comedian and NewsRadio star has not spoken much about the incident, which was captured on video originally published by TMZ.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Mouse will pony up for personalities that bring eyeballs.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
28 Feb. 2026
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The staff is crisply professional but not afraid to show personality.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 When goals call your name, patience becomes your ally.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Mar. 2026
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In Culiacan, in neighboring Sinaloa state, home to a cartel of the same name, there is a cemetery known for its luxury crypts and mausoleums for one-time kingpins like Ignacio Coronel — an old associate of El Mencho — and Arturo Beltrán Leyva.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heartthrob.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartthrob. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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