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
The idea that animals became transfixed by Francis’ preaching was reiterated in other devotional texts.
—
Vanessa Corcoran, The Conversation, 2 Feb. 2026
Here, the versatile actor portrays Mother Ann with kinetic religious fervor and an ethereal quality that all but transfixes you during the course of the 2¼-hour film.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
Directed by two-time Olivier Award winner Rupert Goold, the play revisits the true story of a Brooklyn bank robbery that spiraled out of control and transfixed the nation.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
This time, Kelly was the star, and my daughter was transfixed—the pronounced jaw, the twinkle in his eye.
—Noah Galuten, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for transfix
Vanessa Corcoran, The Conversation, 2 Feb. 2026
Here, the versatile actor portrays Mother Ann with kinetic religious fervor and an ethereal quality that all but transfixes you during the course of the 2¼-hour film.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
Directed by two-time Olivier Award winner Rupert Goold, the play revisits the true story of a Brooklyn bank robbery that spiraled out of control and transfixed the nation.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
This time, Kelly was the star, and my daughter was transfixed—the pronounced jaw, the twinkle in his eye.
—Noah Galuten, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for transfix
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transfix
Verb
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Muhammad later returned to the restaurant with a knife and mask and allegedly stabbed Harris, according to police.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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Officers arrived and found the stabbing victim, later identified as Freas.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Armed with my beloved buns (one already torn into) the rest of the flight slipped by, until New York’s piercing skyline came firmly into view.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
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The bullet that struck McKay passed through his arm, pierced his torso and struck his heart inside the Key Gardens burger joint, on Metropolitan Ave.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Production quirks like volume and pitch changes, multiple beat switches, brash sonic redirections punctuated by everything from samples of glass shattering to synth stabs puncturing through sheaths of filters, make for a kind of chaotic symphony that feels deliriously of the moment.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
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Beckett’s patter of repetitions and reversals—as the tape is rewound, replayed, and punctured by Krapp’s speech in the present—resembles Lerner’s technique.—
Hannah Gold,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One couldn’t have picked a more beautiful place to host one of the most polluting industries.—
Noo Saro-Wiwa,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
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The Oilers, the two-time defending conference champs, were picked by many to occupy the perch that the Ducks currently hold.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Simplifying remote access for users with a wide range of tech savvy (or for those stuck in BIOS or trying to troubleshoot) can speed up support and maybe even prevent the need to send a machine in the mail for servicing.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
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Many oil tankers are currently stuck outside the Strait of Hormuz off Iran’s coast, and the blockage has sent Brent crude’s price to nearly $120 per barrel at times.—
Stan Choe,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While his peers aimed to achieve maximum tension by barking about capitalism over jabbing, if not outright obnoxious, guitars, Shaw scrapped layer after layer—distortion pedals, crash cymbals, eventually the drum machine itself—to crystalize his band’s own sound.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
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In the months since, Adams has continued to jab at his successor in social media posts.—
ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Transfix.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transfix. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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