transfixing

verb

present participle of transfix
as in piercing
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

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 transfixing What makes Sam McConnell’s film transfixing, however, is the very personal nature of the drama, written by star Brock Yurich and clearly inspired by his own story. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026 Brazen, physical, able to do more with one (yes) intense gesture than with reams of dialogue, his Bullseye is transfixing. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transfixing
  1. piercing
  2. stabbing
  3. puncturing
  4. jabbing
  5. picking
  6. sticking
Verb
  • His piercing blue eyes shone through, despite the facial prosthetics covering every inch of his skin.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 30 July 2026
  • Their headlamps piercing the watery dark, the group swims along (only Sara has accepted a life jacket), admiring the bats and stalactites while Wat reminds them to respect the caves.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of piercing
Verb
  • Brennan was previously convicted of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon after stabbing her 76-year-old mother to death with a butcher knife in Hollywood in 2014, according to a probable cause affidavit.
    — Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Sanders admitted to stabbing her sons to death in February 2018.
    — Mike Toole, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of stabbing
Verb
  • As the spacecraft closed in, the video follows Mars steadily expanding to reveal numerous craters puncturing its surface, the ancient double-ringed Huygens crater and the south polar ice cap before receding in the spacecraft's rearview.
    — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 22 July 2026
  • On June 3, Walden went to the hospital, where a CT scan revealed the metal bristle had become lodged in his bowel and had begun puncturing his intestine.
    — Nick Lunemann, CBS News, 30 June 2026
Definition of puncturing
Verb
  • The show ushered in a new era of winking, elbow-jabbing meta-musicals.
    — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 26 June 2026
  • The audience groaned, while Vergara and Mel B screamed for Strange to stop jabbing at his partner through the box.
    — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 17 June 2026
Definition of jabbing
Verb
  • The standard way to shop usually means picking recipes first, making a list, and buying those exact ingredients regardless of price.
    — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 31 July 2026
  • Conservationists in the area have rallied around the remaining tree, slamming Homeland Security for not picking an alternative route that does not involve cutting down the trees.
    — Michael Loria, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of picking
Verb
  • Randy Orton returned for the first time since his loss to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42, sticking Rhodes with an RKO and allowing Punk to win with his fifth GTS.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Workers can also be seen standing nearby and don't appear to notice the people sticking their hands in the water.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of sticking

Browse Nearby Words

transfixes
transfixing
transform
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Transfixing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transfixing. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on transfixing

Nglish: Translation of transfixing for Spanish Speakers

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