transfixed

verb

past tense of transfix
as in stabbed
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object transfixed the inanimate butterfly specimens to the collection board

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 transfixed To no one’s surprise, Bonnie is immediately transfixed by her Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee, whose arrogant smarm effectively threads the needle between Maya Hawke’s Anxiety and Regina George’s everything else). — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 June 2026 But his case has transfixed Norway due to his ties to the heir to the throne. — Gwladys Fouche, USA Today, 15 June 2026 The basketball community has been transfixed by this year’s unpredictable NBA Finals between San Antonio and New York. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 June 2026 But Johnson said that didn’t mean he wasn’t transfixed by Wednesday night’s dramatic NBA Finals comeback by the Knicks against the San Antonio Spurs. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2026 Artists such as Chandler Walters, Noeline Hofmann, Gareth and Caylee Hammack also had listeners transfixed at their respective sets throughout Saturday afternoon in Music City. — Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026 Lovelace O’Neal was transfixed by the idea of how much water the massive creatures would displace when engaging in intercourse. — News Desk, Artforum, 15 May 2026 Sometimes, the frame is transfixed by haunting, practically subliminal changes fomenting on a subconscious level, as Dua is shaken from within, and the remarkable Matoshi doles out nuggets of recognizable emotion from beneath her rock-hard exterior. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 May 2026 Become transfixed by the classical music of renowned Polish composer Fryderyk Chopin during the Chopin Concerts from May to September. — Kasia Dietz, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transfixed
  1. stabbed
  2. pierced
  3. punctured
  4. picked
  5. jabbed
  6. stuck
Verb
  • Two men were stabbed as the crowds scattered, and there were several accounts of violence between fans, as well as police tackling and pepper-spraying people in a chaotic scene.
    — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
  • Police said Chiturumani, the girl’s non-custodial father, allegedly stabbed the child’s mother and threatened to kill the child.
    — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
Definition of stabbed
Verb
  • Even Good’s maroon Honda Pilot, the windshield pierced by Ross’s bullet, was bundled away by the FBI into a storage facility before state law enforcement could get a look at it.
    — Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
  • Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are just slightly tender when pierced with a fork or knife.
    — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 July 2026
Definition of pierced
Verb
  • But even in the midst of those surges, the visible dissent of people such as Renee Good and Alex Pretti punctured that fantasy.
    — Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
  • Watt had his lung punctured by the medical staff last season and will turn 32 in October.
    — Mike DeFabo, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Definition of punctured
Verb
  • The Seattle Mariners were one of the teams that most people picked to win the World Series, or at least make a deep run into the playoffs.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • Mengel, who has directed such drama series as My Different Ways and Supplex, and his creative collaborators will bring The Guest to the Czech spa town as the first Danish film picked for Karlovy Vary’s Crystal Globe Competition since 2015.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026
Definition of picked
Verb
  • Two of the points on the rear treble hook were jabbed deeply into the flesh on the outside of the pike’s mouth.
    — Jack G. Mell, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2026
  • And now, 44 years on, new generations of Villa fans could also cherish the moment when Buendia’s cross was jabbed in from close range by Morgan Rogers for the third, ensuring every Brummie in Istanbul could relax and soak in the game’s final 30 minutes.
    — Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 21 May 2026
Definition of jabbed
Verb
  • Twenty-seven people were inside the building, two of whom got stuck before ultimately freeing themselves and exiting the building.
    — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • When the rope broke, three people fell 30 to 40 feet to the beach, and the other three were stuck halfway up the cliff.
    — Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Definition of stuck

Browse Nearby Words

transfix
transfixed
transfixes
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Transfixed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transfixed. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on transfixed

Nglish: Translation of transfixed for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of xeric

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All