spellbinding 1 of 3

spellbinding

2 of 3

noun

spellbinding

3 of 3

verb

present participle of spellbind
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

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 spellbinding
Adjective
To keep your eyes fixed on him throughout a match is both spellbinding and deadly dull. Jody Rosen, The New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2022 Check out its first direct image of a gas giant exoplanet as well as a spellbinding view of the Phantom Galaxy. Ashley Strickland and Katie Hunt, CNN, 3 Sep. 2022 This easy pullout on the Kancamagus Highway brings motorists face-to-face with a spellbinding view of the White Mountains that stretches on for miles. Emily Pennington, Outside Online, 10 Jan. 2022 The most spellbinding moment of the night came afterward, as the crew switched out James Krivchenia’s kick drum. Justin Curto, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2021 See All Example Sentences for spellbinding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spellbinding
Adjective
  • The story of San Jose’s Japanese community is a riveting one that can’t be told often enough.
    Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 24 May 2025
  • Drawing upon the Montessori bell rattle concept, this riveting rattle captures your little one’s attention whether seated or on their tummy.
    Pamela Brill, Parents, 22 May 2025
Noun
  • The night sky will be putting on a dazzling display next week as May's Flower Moon rises, giving spring a touch of cosmic enchantment.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025
  • Alyssa Wentzel, an undergraduate at the University of Delaware who joined Dr. Wozniak aboard Alvin, described the enchantment of sinking into the darkness of the ocean depths on the 70-minute journey to the seafloor.
    Maya Wei-Haas, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Adjective
  • Viewers will nonetheless find themselves under the series’ hypnotic hold.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 22 May 2025
  • Ramsay, working with master cinematographer Seamus McGarvey, builds a world of images that’s hypnotic one minute and jolting you awake the next.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 21 May 2025
Noun
  • Her work, then, is the work of resuscitation via bewitchment.
    Ocean Vuong, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2025
  • But if there is some kind of bewitchment going on in these encounters, Evelyn is entirely immune.
    Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • San Francisco Playhouse is presenting the stage adaptation of the play that has been heralded for its both its engrossing story and equally engrossing storytelling.
    Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 22 May 2025
  • Kuang synthesizes ancient mythology and modern academic convention to create an engrossing world in which magic can be studied and mastered like any other science.
    The Atlantic, The Atlantic, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • At the club, time allows automatisms and structure to become habit.
    Philipp Lahm, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
  • Their players look connected, know where each other are and play with fluidity and automatism.
    Charlotte Harpur, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Elsewhere in the interview, the Australian actress revealed that the movie — in which Kidman plays a woman having an affair with a younger man — was thrilling for her.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
  • With such fine margins at play, a thrilling title race is effectively guaranteed.
    Neel Shelat, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • To them, the big city is as enchanting and mysterious as their father, whose absence in their life has stung both parent and child.
    Thomas Page, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
  • Few other places can feel both enchanting and grounding.
    Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 21 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Spellbinding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spellbinding. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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