riveted

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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of riveted Archaeologists found charcoal, animal bones (none of them chicken bones), Carhartt buttons dating back to the first half of the 20th century and a shovel head that appeared to have been re-riveted by hand multiple times before it was discarded. Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 13 Aug. 2026 The case riveted the public and spawned true crime documentaries, podcasts and books. Dianne Gallagher, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026 Eating disorders can carry what Scaringi calls a whiff of the salacious, and feeling riveted by someone’s changing body isn’t the same as caring about their well-being. Angela Haupt, Time, 5 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riveted
Verb
  • And users can choose from feeds with different algorithms, like those focused on animals or style or the most popular videos on the app.
    Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The firm focused on growth investments, raising capital from endowments, foundations, sovereign funds, and family offices, but has since grown into an investment giant in the venture space.
    Kirk Ogunrinde, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Twenty-two wide moats were downgraded, twenty to narrow and two to none, concentrated in enterprise software, IT services and payroll, hitting names like Workday, Adobe, Salesforce and ADP.
    Jemma Green, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Hiring has been largely concentrated in a few select sectors like healthcare.
    Dana Taylor, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Riveted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riveted. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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