as in riveting
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Dissimilar Words
as in enchantment
Related Words
as in fascinating
to hold the attention of as if by a spell
the tale about pirates and their buried treasure had completely spellbound the children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spellbinding
Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026
Byatt layers in invented history and poetry, creating a wholly original and spellbinding novel.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
The Know, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
Bright and spellbinding, glittering and dangerous, London Falling scratches every itch while unwinding this morbid mystery.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 3 Mar. 2026
The panorama from my island summit is spellbinding.
—Tristan Rutherford, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spellbinding
Adjective
Part hymn, part lullaby, this soundscape courtesy of Brian Eno is a spellbinding palette of sound.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026
Byatt layers in invented history and poetry, creating a wholly original and spellbinding novel.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
This reimagining of the classic tale of the white European male shipwrecked on a desert island is brave, funny, wild and spellbinding.
—The Know, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026
Bright and spellbinding, glittering and dangerous, London Falling scratches every itch while unwinding this morbid mystery.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
That group includes Adeline Hotel frontman Dan Knishkowy, who plays guitar on West’s spellbinding second album, Silent Century.
—Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 3 Mar. 2026
The panorama from my island summit is spellbinding.
—Tristan Rutherford, Robb Report, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for spellbinding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spellbinding
Adjective
-
In the hands of this skillful writer, those facts become a riveting, surprising tale of a heroic, passionate and intelligent woman.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
7 Dec. 2025
-
Tuesday's finale marks the conclusion of a riveting season of competition.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
But gratification can be pointed toward the world—the sensory enchantment of everyday life.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
-
But first, enjoy Rock City’s enchantment.—
Judith Garrison,
AJC.com,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The rookie showman is proving his mettle as part of the Caballero Circus, a five-generation family of performers, by enchanting audiences with his charismatic stage presence and sharp coordination.—
Andrea Flores,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
-
That studio bosses of today don’t care about enchanting audiences.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Hair follicle testing confirmed exposure to sedative-hypnotic drugs, but surveillance footage was destroyed after the hotel’s 30-day retention period elapsed before her preservation request could be honored.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 June 2026
-
His sustained concentration throughout the 70-minute performance was hypnotic.—
Thomas Rom,
ARTnews.com,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
There is a quality of trance, of autohypnosis, in her style.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
19 Jan. 2021
Verb
-
It’s been mesmerizing to watch Schoenbrun not only come out in real time over their last two films, but now come so much into their own powers as a storyteller.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
-
Nonetheless, Munden added his own visual flair, with color saturation, distorted close-ups to show the characters’ disorientation, and mesmerizing shots of nature writ large (raging fires, roiling ocean waves, torrential storms) and small (ants devouring a bug).—
Stuart Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Reassembling for the next chapter of this enthralling series beside Ferguson, Henwick, and Zukerman are Common, Harriet Walter, Chinaza Uche, Avi Nash, Alexandria Riley, Shane McRae, Remmie Milner, Rick Gomez, Billy Postlethwaite, and Clare Perkins.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
4 June 2026
-
The enthralling ballistic orchestra of internal-combustion engines provide the dramatic soundtrack to a motoring scene nothing short of cinematic.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
At the club, time allows automatisms and structure to become habit.—
Philipp Lahm,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
-
French critic Laurent Jenny, in a piece translated by Thomas Trezise, contrasts Breton and Spanish artist Salvador Dalí, who, beginning in 1930, challenged some of the ideas of automatism.—
Allison C. Meier,
JSTOR Daily,
19 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Spellbinding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spellbinding. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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