as in to stab
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
transfixed the inanimate butterfly specimens to the collection board
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of transfix
Before there was Latin trap, Puerto Rico was transfixed by reggaetón, a swaggering style based on a loping, staccato beat known as dembow, which derives from dancehall reggae.
—
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
His guitar riffs and solos pop and transfix, while his smooth, slightly nasal voice swells above the compositions.
—Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 20 Aug. 2025
The mountain lion walks slowly up the porch to the front door of the property before briefly stopping as if transfixed by something inside.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Characters in Vineland are numbly transfixed by television, and violence permeates the culture of 1984.
—Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for transfix
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
His guitar riffs and solos pop and transfix, while his smooth, slightly nasal voice swells above the compositions.
—Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 20 Aug. 2025
The mountain lion walks slowly up the porch to the front door of the property before briefly stopping as if transfixed by something inside.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Characters in Vineland are numbly transfixed by television, and violence permeates the culture of 1984.
—Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for transfix
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transfix
Verb
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Jared Luecke, 33, is facing murder and tampering with evidence charges and is accused of repeatedly stabbing John Luecke with a knife and hitting him with a crowbar, according to court records.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Nov. 2025
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Hennen spent 30 months in prison for intent to distribute cocaine and was separately arrested for assault after stabbing someone.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Produced before the gag order was lifted, the four-part docuseries One Night in Idaho turns its focus to the families, friends and community members still wrestling with the aftermath, offering a piercing look at a case with many unanswered questions.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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The grotesque details—the uncle’s fingernails piercing his hands, the dog’s permanent terror of rabbits—are simply there.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Pinjar thus starts out with Hamida’s disgust, puncturing notions of maternal affection revered in mainstream South Asian (and other) narratives.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
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The moon is covered with about 10 meters of regolith, a mix of dust, ash and rocks punctured by craters and boulders—not pristine landing pads.—
Dan Vergano,
Scientific American,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With two straight victories after a 1-5 start, the Ravens have picked themselves off the mat and are threatening to get back in the playoff mix.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
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The Seahawks, who sent two mid-round draft picks to the Saints, may see Shaheed as similar to Percy Harvin.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Actors like Eric Bogosian and Jason Schwartzman waltz in and schmooze it up as vampires living their best afterlives, completely overshadowing Denton, who’s stuck in noob-human mode and doesn’t progress much past that.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
25 Oct. 2025
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Take two mint crowns, lightly bruise them with your fingers, and stick them against the inside close to the straw.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The inmates jabbed him repeatedly.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
4 Nov. 2025
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For nations in the developing world, the vote has been an opportunity to jab at the United States on an issue that has traditionally carried little diplomatic weight.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Transfix.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transfix. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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