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
  • Collins can’t make the same pivot without piercing the brand that carried him this far.
    — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
  • The documentary feature Noga, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival last month and is currently making the film-festival rounds, is as piercing as that shriek.
    — Marisa Fox, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026
Definition of piercing
Verb
  • Video clips of Guarino performing the Endo One procedure — which involves repeatedly stabbing the skin with a thin, cylindrical rod, releasing a red laser — are posted regularly on his and EvoSkin’s Instagram accounts.
    — Ella Moore July 23, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • Holly returns to save her dad by violently stabbing and killing Crowley, but Voit decides to take the fall for Holly and is put back behind bars.
    — Joyce Eng, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026
Definition of stabbing
Verb
  • 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
  • Where there’s normally carpet or hardwood floors, there are rocks, puncturing bare feet with each step.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 25 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
  • There is a competitive theory behind picking a quiet Tennessee city over a host metropolis.
    — Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • Usually, that means picking a more premium seating section or opting for an aisle or window seat, depending on preference.
    — Lindsey Campbell, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2026
Definition of picking
Verb
  • Everyone looks glowing and glamorous, despite sticking generally to a dutiful antiquities theme.
    — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
  • When an outside threat increases, various mammal species will respond by sticking close together.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 July 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 24 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on transfixing

Nglish: Translation of transfixing for Spanish Speakers

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