as in riveting
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Dissimilar Words
as in enchantment
Related Words
as in fascinating
to hold the attention of as if by a spell
the tale about pirates and their buried treasure had completely spellbound the children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spellbinding
Claudia Roth Pierpont, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Take a spellbinding stroll through the Forbidden Forest Ready your wand for an unforgettable walk through the infamous dark woodland from the Harry Potter franchise.
—Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Nov. 2025
Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025
Hearing these spellbinding performances in our state-of-the-art studios has been nothing short of extraordinary.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2025
Both were spellbinding experiences that exuded joy and adventure in equal measure, prompting me and other attendees to repeatedly grin and shake our heads in wonder and awe.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spellbinding
Adjective
Come for the corrupt politicians boiling in pitch; stay for the poetry and the spellbinding stories.
—Noun
The result was nothing short of spellbinding.
—Verb
Series brings spellbinding colors and AI-powered smarts to your movie nights.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for spellbinding
Adjective
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Sure, the Pittsburgh Steelers coach could wring his hands over the impossibly thin line between victory and defeat, one his team received an up-close look at yet again in a riveting 26-24 win over Baltimore on Sunday night that clinched Pittsburgh's first AFC North title in five years.—
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What follows is a riveting fantasy drama that inspires escapism and suspense in equal measure.—
Noun
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Trying to lift people to a place of enchantment.—
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While there’s certainly a good dose of movie magic that goes into creating these heartwarming (and, yes, a bit cheesy) scenes, many of the productions are shot in destinations—from Vancouver to Vail—that have their own brand of holiday enchantment in the winter months.—
Verb
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Wilentz, author of the 2010 book Dylan in America, wrote Volume 18‘s detailed, often fascinating 125-page liner notes that provides historical context for the expansive eight-CD set.—
Adjective
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Nazism’s total domination politically and socially found an aesthetic counterpart in the visual reduction of bodies to things, ecstatically subdued before the hypnotic power of a leader, force, or sublime beauty.—
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Plus, Palmer and Goode's oh-so-palpable chemistry conjures up a hypnotic charm that even Harkness couldn't resist.—
Noun
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Her work, then, is the work of resuscitation via bewitchment.—
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But if there is some kind of bewitchment going on in these encounters, Evelyn is entirely immune.—
Verb
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If that wasn't enchanting enough, they were then joined by their original Broadway counterparts, Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda) and Idina Menzel (Elphaba).—
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Even the most incredulous of us listened to him describe the visions of fleeting stars that were enchanting enough to swoon the most beautiful people on this poor Earth.—
Adjective
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The 23-year-old is one of the Premier League’s most enthralling, threatening attackers.—
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For director Rowan Athale, the experience was enthralling but also wholly bizarre, largely because of the sheer amount of star-wattage in the room.—
Noun
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There is a quality of trance, of autohypnosis, in her style.—
Cite this Entry
“Spellbinding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spellbinding. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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