as in interesting
holding the attention or provoking interest
a riveting explanation of light waves that fascinated the class
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in focusing
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of riveting
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
Omar, tormented by the first girl’s dying screams, enlists the help of his exhausted supervisor, Rana (Saja Kilani, riveting), who was on her way home after a long shift when Hind’s predicament first crossed his screen.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riveting
Adjective
Adapted from Bernard-Marie Koltès’s play ‘Black Battles with Dogs’, Denis’ riveting drama gives primacy to her actors – their dialogues expressing inner desires and articulating the broader societal inequities that prevail between those who reside on either side of the fence.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
Omar, tormented by the first girl’s dying screams, enlists the help of his exhausted supervisor, Rana (Saja Kilani, riveting), who was on her way home after a long shift when Hind’s predicament first crossed his screen.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
What makes the best podcasts riveting?
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riveting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riveting
Adjective
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So, ask yourself, Is my profile accurate, up-to-date, relevant, interesting, impressive, and credible?—
William Arruda,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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What makes the show interesting, however, isn’t just the chemistry between the trio of anchors, though that is certainly part of the equation.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Jones had no comment when asked about his exchange with Tranquill, instead focusing on the bigger picture.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
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Reid is also meticulous with focusing on details, and Kansas City is usually better in this area than its opponents.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For those reasons and more, Rohl’s signing on a season-long loan, with a €20million obligation provided Everton avoid relegation, is intriguing.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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Those two rookies will join Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker in the wide receiver room, and the Panthers also have an intriguing prospect in Ja'Tavion Sanders at tight end.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One common effect is difficulty concentrating.—
Angela Ryan Lee,
Verywell Health,
4 Sep. 2025
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The question facing executives isn't whether top AI talent justifies premium compensation, but whether concentrating this much enterprise value in individuals creates new categories of business risk requiring fundamentally different governance approaches.—
Sabeer Nelliparamban,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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TikTok has turned makeup artist Erin Parsons into a beauty historian for the masses; her fascinating deep dives into the lore of products inspire a kind of nostalgic beauty renaissance.—
Mila Jaroniec,
Allure,
3 Sep. 2025
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Moreover, Jupiter’s major moons contain enormous quantities of water — with three of them having more water than even Earth does — and pose fascinating possibilities in the quest for life beyond our own planet.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the book, Camus explains all this through an engaging first-person narrative, but Ozon bins all that in favor of showing not telling.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
2 Sep. 2025
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The most engaging Parrots understand when to stop talking and start listening.—
Vicki Salemi,
Boston Herald,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The fast-absorbing, spreadable formula is infused with hydrating hyaluronic acid and layers beautifully under makeup.—
Sarah Y. Wu,
Glamour,
3 Sep. 2025
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But the movie, directed by Olivier Assayas (from a script he co-wrote with Emmanuel Carrère), is at once absorbing and diffuse.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
31 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riveting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riveting. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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