spellbound 1 of 2

adjective

ˈspel-ˌbau̇nd How to pronounce spellbound (audio)
Definition of spellboundnext
as in charmed
being or appearing to be under a magic spell spellbound audiences never tire of this annual Christmas favorite

Synonyms & Similar Words

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spellbound

2 of 2

verb

past tense of spellbind
as in fascinated
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

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 spellbound
Adjective
The town was spellbound over this horrific murders. — Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2026 The result was a strangely spellbound life. — Merve Emre, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025 The waxing and waning of the substorm conditions fuel auroras all night, keeping us spellbound for hours. — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 17 Nov. 2025 Set in Salem, Massachusetts, the third season will dive deeper into the mythology of witchcraft, introduce new ‘spellbound’ families and feature some of the historical happenings of Salem, the infamous town of witch trials and folklore. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for spellbound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spellbound
  1. charmed
  2. fascinated
  3. enchanted
  4. mesmerized
  5. magic
  6. magical
Adjective
  • For years, Coventry had lived a charmed life in the top flight, pulling off a few dramatic escapes either side of a glorious FA Cup success in 1987.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The actor discussed their charmed meet-cute on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2011.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 9 July 2026
Definition of charmed
Verb
  • As Oppenheim put it at the film’s Venice press conference, he’d long been fascinated by Hansen, and only became more so after his wife gifted him a Cameo from the host for his birthday.
    — Nate Jones, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Here are four more scammers who fascinated people on the internet – plus one who people thought was a scammer but turned out not to be.
    — Owen Carry, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of fascinated
Adjective
  • The fantasy comedy, which starred Eden alongside Larry Hagman, followed the whimsical adventures of astronaut Anthony Nelson, who discovers an enchanted lamp with a wish-granting genie.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Barratt plays Tom Riddle, a former Hogwarts student who meets Harry in the form of a mysterious voice magically scribbling messages through an enchanted notebook.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of enchanted
Verb
  • Coronated at age 3 after his father’s death, the curious boy king in colorful robes mesmerized world leaders and ruled through regents until assuming full authority at 18.
    — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Near the start of the year, Lindsay Clancy, the woman at the center of the criminal trial in Massachusetts that has mesmerized many chambers of social media, filed a civil action against eight health-care providers and facilities.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of mesmerized
Adjective
  • Now up five games in the NL East, and having trimmed the magic number to clinch the division to 15, the Braves (85-58) were four outs away from a second straight loss to their division rival.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Researchers have completely switched off superconductivity in magic-angle graphene by weakening interactions between electrons, providing strong evidence that those interactions are central to the unusual phenomenon.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of magic
Adjective
  • Having spent time with fans in theaters, there really is something magical about bringing that community together.
    — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
  • In January, just days after the Bears’ magical 2025 dream run ended with a playoff loss, Poles was thrilled when Johnson slammed the back cover on that season and ordered everyone to start working for 2026.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of magical

Browse Nearby Words

spellbinds
spellbound
spelled
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Cite this Entry

“Spellbound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spellbound. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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