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
  • But, even more specifically, the story is in dialogue with the British artist David Austen’s minimal and piercing drawings.
    — Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Possible options include ammunition designed for varied levels of impact, including armor-piercing configurations.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of piercing
Verb
  • Armstrong’s first symptoms, at age 11, were stabbing pains on her left side that repeatedly sent her to the school nurse.
    — Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Wardlaw stands accused of stepping into Jordan Harbst’s path on the Greenbelt, knocking Harbst off his scooter and stabbing him to death in the early morning hours of July 6, according to the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office.
    — Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of stabbing
Verb
  • The shrapnel tore through the metal surrounding the engine, shattering the window at row 11, leaving a dent in the plane near row 8 and puncturing the body below the wing, as well as gouging and denting the tail, the NTSB said.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • According to the company website, the glove is designed to disrupt sensory nerves without puncturing or burning the skin.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of puncturing
Verb
  • When handcuffed by investigators, Thakor denied jabbing his wife with a knife.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Years ago, after Jake died, my instinct as a medical student was anger — clenching my teeth and jabbing a pen into my notepad, making a line of inky holes along the margin.
    — Caroline Cherston, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of jabbing
Verb
  • The level of media attention could also make picking a second impartial jury more difficult, a factor that could influence Cruz's decision.
    — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The wildcard should be about targeting the fixture swings and picking players with long-term potential, rather than chasing points already scored.
    — Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of picking
Verb
  • The most improbable player to win a spot on the Miami’s 53 man roster didn’t merely defy the odds by sticking as an undrafted rookie, the only one of more than a dozen Dolphins to do that.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Continue to cook, agitating eggs and occasionally shaking pan and running spatula underneath to ensure eggs aren’t sticking, until surface of eggs looks somewhat set but still slightly shiny, about 30 seconds more.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Sep. 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 12 Sep. 2026.

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