Synonyms of riveted

riveted

verb

past tense of rivet

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

• focused
• concentrated
• fastened
• centered
• trained
• pointed
• aimed
• nailed
• directed
• leveled
• attended
• set
• heeded
• obsessed (over)
• zeroed (in on)
• honed in (on)
• homed (in on)
• minded
• fixated (on)
• refocused

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of riveted

Carter had been weakened by the Iran hostage crisis, which had riveted the country for the previous year, but the Reagan campaign worried that if Carter secured a hostage release just before voters headed to the polls, the election would be his. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 July 2026

But like many other Venezuelans, I am riveted by the pictures of endless rubble, of buildings whose facades have collapsed, displaying the rooms inside like dioramas of life before disaster. — Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026

Betty Kovacs, the eldest daughter of comedian Ernie Kovacs who with her sister Kippie and stepmother, actress-singer Edie Adams, was at the center of a nasty custody battle that kept Hollywood riveted in 1962, has died. — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026

The case riveted the nation for months. — Austin Mullen, NBC news, 28 June 2026

In a world riveted by an unprecedented fossil fuel crisis, does anyone have time for a big summit on climate change? — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 23 June 2026

The decision marks the latest twist in the sprawling Murdaugh saga that has riveted the public and spawned true crime documentaries, podcasts and best-selling books. — Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 15 May 2026

Fifty years ago audiences were riveted by that thriller that focused on two relentless newsmen, played by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, who were digging into the seedy mysteries of the Watergate scandal. — Peter Bart, Deadline, 7 May 2026

On a tour of the ship’s engine room, he was riveted by a mechanism automatically recording the movements of the ship’s propeller. — Alison J. Stein, thehustle.co, 1 May 2026