as in interesting
holding the attention or provoking interest
a riveting explanation of light waves that fascinated the class
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
The riveting performances and special awards were just as memorable.
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 9 June 2025
The program started with a call to prayer from Minister Howard Lindsay of Grace Tabernacle Community Church, followed by a riveting official welcome from Mayor Karen Bass.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 8 June 2025
The riveting performance kicked off his eight-night residency at Café Carlyle, the beloved jazz theater within The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel in New York City.
—Robin Raven, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for riveting
Adjective
Jason Terry scores 27 points and Dirk Nowitzki adds 21 as the Mavericks win four of the series’ last five games.
2013 — Andrew Shaw scores on a deflection in triple overtime to lift the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins in a riveting Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
The riveting performances and special awards were just as memorable.
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 9 June 2025
The program started with a call to prayer from Minister Howard Lindsay of Grace Tabernacle Community Church, followed by a riveting official welcome from Mayor Karen Bass.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 8 June 2025
The riveting performance kicked off his eight-night residency at Café Carlyle, the beloved jazz theater within The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel in New York City.
—Robin Raven, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for riveting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for riveting
Adjective
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The Gilded Age is so interesting because some elements feel modern, while others seem way older and more foreign than only a century and a half ago.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
23 June 2025
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Published on June 22, 2025 Oban Welcome to Taste Test, where every week our critic Jonah Flicker explores the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
22 June 2025
Verb
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State government has been focusing on East Hartford in recent years because the administration of then-Mayor Mike Walsh advanced a series of high-profile, potentially transformative projects.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2025
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Pitchers As far as pitching goes, the thesis couldn’t be simpler — do our best to avoid any bias attached to surface stats (outputs) by instead focusing on underlying metrics (inputs).—
John Laghezza,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The Raptors could at least make Milwaukee an intriguing offer.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
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Hansen Yang: The 7-1, 249-pound center from China is a potential late first-rounder with intriguing size (9-3 standing reach, nearly 7-3 wingspan, only combine player in top three in both hand length and width) to go with shooting and passing touch.—
Aaron Beard,
Chicago Tribune,
23 June 2025
Verb
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This led to an explosion of technology development and, with funding concentrating on a smaller number of startups, set the playing field for 2025.—
Jeff Mahler,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
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Since the trial began, the Amazons have ventured out about three times a week to paste messages on both sides of the ramparts, but mostly concentrating on the intra-muros area near the courthouse.—
Catherine Porter,
New York Times,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Her appetite for life's most fascinating experiences is matched only by her desire to help fuel readers' own hungers and aspirations.—
Sarah Perez,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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The sense of smell is complex and fascinating — and in many ways still mysterious.—
Avery Hurt,
Discover Magazine,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Looking ahead, Gupta outlined the platform’s design principles for global applicability: inclusivity (maximizing platform access), intuitive user experiences (minimizing friction), interactivity (leveraging digital’s two-way communication), and immersion (creating deeply engaging experiences).—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 June 2025
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Coaching has become a critical skill for effective leaders as organizations shift away from traditional command-and-control leadership paradigms toward more inclusive, engaging and empowering approaches.—
Nathalie Blais,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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Billy Joel's documentary digs deep into past with poignancy – but he's 'not finished yet' Culture Club film delves into history filled with drama, Boy George, love and drugs ‘Walk of Fame’ The most compelling track on an album full of soaring choruses now has an equally absorbing video.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
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In an absorbing contest, both women played aggressive tennis in a bid to gain the upper hand in a close first set.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Riveting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riveting. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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