1
as in clenched
to have or keep in one's hands
gripped the handlebars tightly and raced down the hill
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fascinated
to hold the attention of as if by a spell
that true crime story gripped me as much as any whodunit
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in interested
to hold the attention of
that movie will grip any true sports car fan
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in grasped
to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms
the baby gripped my fingers and wouldn't let go
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gripped
Venezuela is gripped by fear and uncertainty in the aftermath of the removal of longtime leader Nicolás Maduro, with many inside the country questioning whether his capture truly signals the end of the authoritarian system that has ruled for years.
—
Ted Scouten, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
In a court case that gripped the nation, Karen Read was cleared of the murder charges relating to the death of her boyfriend John O’Keefe, a Boston police officer.
—Isabelle Friedman, Boston Herald, 31 Dec. 2025
From shocking acts of violence to courtroom reckonings that captivated the public, 2025 brought a series of crime stories that gripped the nation’s attention.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 28 Dec. 2025
The tragedy has gripped Americans who grew up with Rob Reiner.
—Josh Peter, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
The shootings gripped residents of Rhode Island and Massachusetts as days passed without anyone in custody.
—Tomás Guerreiro, NBC news, 19 Dec. 2025
There are so many screaming, ecstatic adults, from recent grads to those clutching walkers and canes, that whatever feelings you might be gripped by in the moment—grief for the end of your college years, terror of the unknown—are blasted away, replaced by a pure and stunning kind of joy.
—Lucy Feldman, Time, 17 Dec. 2025
Canada was gripped by the World Series last month and early in November as the Blue Jays, the country’s only MLB team, came agonizingly close to upsetting the Dodgers juggernaut.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
The raccoon, who had wrapped both paws around the cone and whose legs gripped the bottom of the cone, eventually slipped off and fell back into the water, just as DeLeo got close to pulling him to safety.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gripped
Verb
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As Rathbun and other officers retreated, Webster clenched both fists, crouched into a linebacker’s stance, and charged into Rathbun, knocking him to the ground.—
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My muscles, head, neck and back were clenched.—
Verb
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Bass, who as a young man played a year as a tailback for the Utah State Aggies, was fascinated by the program, and its coach, Anthony Barnes.—
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Shakespeare has always fascinated me as a challenge, and Romeo & Juliet is one of the most famous stories in the world.—
Verb
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Tommaso di Lampedusa’s novel, which looks at the unification of Italy from the perspective of a 20th-century writer, had a modernity that interested me.—
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Since his death more than two hundred years ago, Christophe’s tragic story has interested a broad array of playwrights, artists, novelists, and filmmakers across the world.—
Verb
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Perhaps the biggest surprise of the last 24 hours is that Weiss appears not to have totally grasped the firestorm her decision would provoke.—
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Sympathetic business leaders have also grasped new opportunities to amplify illiberal narratives for global audiences.—
Verb
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To complete her outfit, Kylie clutched a White Birkin Faubourg House Alligator Bag, which is worth anywhere from $200K to upwards of $300K, according to Sotheby's.—
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Raynaud clutched his left knee while writhing in pain before limping off the floor with assistance from head athletic trainer Joel Noland.—
Verb
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Coperni’s timing proved, well, enchanted.—
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Not so long ago, humans believed that everything was enchanted.—
Verb
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Cushionaire Belinda Ballet Sneakers with Ribbon Ties I’ve been intrigued by the ballet sneakers trend for quite some time, and my interest was further piqued when Nicole Kidman wore a pair recently.—
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The result of at least 2 years of R&D, prototyping, testing and reworking the idea from Band Industries founders Hassane Slaibi and Bassam Jalgha, the concept intrigued me.—
Verb
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The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.—
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That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.—
Cite this Entry
“Gripped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gripped. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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