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
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 riveting
Robert Eggers, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
Marx becomes the third corner of their triangle, and decades of action ensue, much of it set in Los Angeles, some in the virtual realm, all of it riveting.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
What makes the best podcasts riveting?
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riveting
Adjective
The horror and action set pieces are riveting.
—Robert Eggers, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2025
Marx becomes the third corner of their triangle, and decades of action ensue, much of it set in Los Angeles, some in the virtual realm, all of it riveting.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
But what if the NFL did away with the not-exactly-riveting TV coin toss while also making coaches think twice about wanting to receive the ball in overtime?
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
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
-
Suddenly, sincerity felt like a fresher approach to a contemporary political story—more interesting, more unexpected, and more aligned with my artistic ethos.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Krasinski also has the least interesting yet very successful Hollywood career imaginable, but that doesn’t mean he should be exiled or worse.—
Choire Sicha,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Archer isn’t the only eVTOL company focusing on the UAE with Joby, one of its main competitors, hoping to launch in Dubai next year, with launch facilities currently under construction as sites including Dubai International Airport, according to Aviation Week.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Attempting to block out everything off the court and focusing on basketball seems to be a strategy filtering down from Splitter who remained guarded in his press conference after the game when asked about Billups.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
However, the Houston Rockets are certainly an intriguing option, and might be one that Morant would love.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Still, there were some pretrial motions that were intriguing and offered a glimpse as to what the trial in December in front of a jury in Charlotte could look like.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Difficulty concentrating is a common complaint among people experiencing SAD, Justin Puder, PhD, a psychologist based in Boca Raton, Florida, tells SELF.—
Maggie O'Neill,
SELF,
20 Oct. 2025
-
This effect is analogous to concentrating sunlight with a magnifying glass to ignite a dry leaf.—
Richard J. Price,
The Conversation,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Jarcovjáková makes for a fascinating subject, especially as someone capturing her own emotional dissatisfaction through the contours of her body and face.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Next door, a small museum traces its fascinating journey from prison to protected paradise.—
Carla Vianna,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The production journey has involved balancing the original promise of the short film while creating an engaging genre piece.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Users can create immersive, emotionally engaging performances with this feature, without the need for technical review.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Her own book trades on a similarly absorbing, escapist allure.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Rivera’s writing is well worth experiencing, and what’s on stage at Penumbra is an imaginative and deeply absorbing staging, which, despite its darkness, offers a sense of hope and faith in humanity.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riveting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riveting. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share