as in stabbed
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object
transfixed the inanimate butterfly specimens to the collection board
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Recent Examples of transfixed
Stepping into the Keijsers Koning gallery, a visitor is immediately transfixed by a score of unblinking eyes.
—
Benjamin Lima, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
The idea that animals became transfixed by Francis’ preaching was reiterated in other devotional texts.
—Vanessa Corcoran, The Conversation, 2 Feb. 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
Advertisement The other players in the room look on, transfixed, some laughing at their colleague’s dazzling brilliance.
—Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
Or if you're not transfixed by Pluribus, which sees the bulk of Earth's population forming a hive mind, there's a wealth of other content, including a surprisingly large amount of sci-fi.
—Chris McMullen, Space.com, 29 Nov. 2025
From his standing machine, Elijah watches his sister, transfixed.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 26 Nov. 2025
This has a slot machine-style effect on gamblers, who keep feeding their apps money, transfixed by each new bet.
—David French, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Benjamin Lima, Dallas Morning News, 5 Feb. 2026
The idea that animals became transfixed by Francis’ preaching was reiterated in other devotional texts.
—Vanessa Corcoran, The Conversation, 2 Feb. 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
Advertisement The other players in the room look on, transfixed, some laughing at their colleague’s dazzling brilliance.
—Jordan Himelfarb, Time, 15 Dec. 2025
Or if you're not transfixed by Pluribus, which sees the bulk of Earth's population forming a hive mind, there's a wealth of other content, including a surprisingly large amount of sci-fi.
—Chris McMullen, Space.com, 29 Nov. 2025
From his standing machine, Elijah watches his sister, transfixed.
—David Eckert, Austin American Statesman, 26 Nov. 2025
This has a slot machine-style effect on gamblers, who keep feeding their apps money, transfixed by each new bet.
—David French, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transfixed
Verb
-
Brockton Police arrested a man who allegedly stabbed a co-worker at Wollaston Alloys Monday night.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
-
A student was even stabbed at a school after the system didn't detect a 7-inch knife.—
Jeff Wagner,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As the friend stumbled, one bullet hit him in the buttock and pierced his small intestine.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Williams introduces us to a woman who is pierced by the clarity of her vision.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, researchers at Texas A&M University created a dynamic material that repairs itself after being punctured by shifting from a solid to a liquid state and back again.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The episode has punctured Preckwinkle’s reputation for managerial skill — a primary reason this page has endorsed her in previous elections despite some disagreements with other aspects of her record.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
On his way to the dressing room, Gudas picked some snow off the ice and kissed it.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The council recently picked a fight with Friends of the Library, with the council questioning whether to accept $825,000 from the group.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
An agent in Massachusetts jabbed his finger and thumb into the neck and arteries of a young father who refused to be separated from his wife and 1-year-old daughter.—
Nicole Foy,
ProPublica,
13 Jan. 2026
-
As Webster repeatedly jabbed his finger, Rathbun met it with his left hand, as if trying to swat him away.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Like that film and the rest of her oeuvre, her latest is another tender tale of a protagonist stuck between two worlds, a hallmark motif fitting for a director who splits her time between documentary and fiction filmmaking.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The rescue took place in the area of Branford Point where crews responded on the report of a goose possibly in distress and stuck in the ice, according to the Branford Professional Firefighters IAFF 2533.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Transfixed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transfixed. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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