as in focused
to fix (as one's attention) steadily toward a central objective
everyone riveted their eyes on the trick that the magician was performing on stage
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of riveted
While millions are riveted by Sunday’s seven-minute jewelry heist of Napoleonic jewels at the Louvre, another major sizable snatching, the 1990 break-in at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, resurfaced in the news in a different way.
—
Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
The Adelsons’ involvement in the murder case’s tangled web has riveted those in the state capital — and thousands of internet true crime sleuths — for nearly a decade.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
Many car parts are glued together rather than riveted, screwed, or bolted, and the robots and spray guns that apply those bonding agents need to be cleaned.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 16 Sep. 2025
Instead, their Boeing Starliner spacecraft had issues, causing NASA to bring the vehicle back to Earth without the two astronauts, who would stay behind in space — and as time went by, delay after delay extended their visit, leaving the nation riveted.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2025
Democrats now have the option of using the vote to table Schumer’s amendment as political ammo in the midterm election to attack Republicans over Epstein, a subject that has riveted some members of the GOP base for months.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 10 Sep. 2025
She is riveted as the actor playing Prince Hamlet (Noah Jupe) is onstage with her husband, Will, playing the ghost of his father, King Hamlet.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
This figure sits comfortably within the simple 36-centimetre (14 inches) upper bound once allowances are made for the lattice geometry, riveted joints, and uneven heating.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Aug. 2025
Ted Koppel’s Nightline, which was launched on ABC News during the period, also kept Americans riveted to the crisis.
—Jonathan Alter, TIME, 29 Dec. 2024
Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
The Adelsons’ involvement in the murder case’s tangled web has riveted those in the state capital — and thousands of internet true crime sleuths — for nearly a decade.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
Many car parts are glued together rather than riveted, screwed, or bolted, and the robots and spray guns that apply those bonding agents need to be cleaned.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 16 Sep. 2025
Instead, their Boeing Starliner spacecraft had issues, causing NASA to bring the vehicle back to Earth without the two astronauts, who would stay behind in space — and as time went by, delay after delay extended their visit, leaving the nation riveted.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 13 Sep. 2025
Democrats now have the option of using the vote to table Schumer’s amendment as political ammo in the midterm election to attack Republicans over Epstein, a subject that has riveted some members of the GOP base for months.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 10 Sep. 2025
She is riveted as the actor playing Prince Hamlet (Noah Jupe) is onstage with her husband, Will, playing the ghost of his father, King Hamlet.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2025
This figure sits comfortably within the simple 36-centimetre (14 inches) upper bound once allowances are made for the lattice geometry, riveted joints, and uneven heating.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Aug. 2025
Ted Koppel’s Nightline, which was launched on ABC News during the period, also kept Americans riveted to the crisis.
—Jonathan Alter, TIME, 29 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riveted
Verb
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While our immigration enforcement should be focused on apprehending and prosecuting violent criminals to make our communities safer, these ICE actions are doing the opposite and making our state less safe.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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The museum, focused on the arts, history and technology, will draw tourists and scholars from around the world.—
Dorothy Jenkins Fields,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Farpoint and its partner MCZ Development first concentrated on filling the eight-story property’s office space, now 98% leased, Katz said.—
Brian J. Rogal,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
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Manhattan has seen only a handful of nine-figure home sales, nearly all concentrated in Midtown towers.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Riveted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riveted. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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