variants
or enthral
1
as in to fascinate
to hold the attention of as if by a spell
enthralled by the flickering fire in the hearth, we lost all track of time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to please
to fill with overwhelming emotion (as wonder or delight)
for years these master magicians have been enthralling audiences with their astounding illusions
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to occupy
to hold the attention of
a play that will enthrall you for two hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of enthrall
Crafted from resilience and hope, his stories enthrall his fellow captives, and capture the attention of Hasan (Alessandro Borghi), the enigmatic and feared Bey of Algiers, igniting a secret affinity between captor and captive.
—
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2025
Two of her choices were preteen girls clearly enthralled to be in her warm presence.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
Bluey Puppets launched digitally a few days ago, and already has toddlers enthralled.
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 5 Aug. 2025
Washington read the script and was enthralled with it, but realized there was no director attached to the film.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for enthrall
Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2025
Two of her choices were preteen girls clearly enthralled to be in her warm presence.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
Bluey Puppets launched digitally a few days ago, and already has toddlers enthralled.
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 5 Aug. 2025
Washington read the script and was enthralled with it, but realized there was no director attached to the film.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for enthrall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enthrall
Verb
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Molina, who is fascinated by silver screen legend Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), distracts himself and Valentín with a recounting of his favorite film of hers — The Kiss of the Spider Woman.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
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That kind of content always fascinated me, both sides of it, actually, the victimology and the perpetrator’s perspective.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Motivated largely by his desire to please his dead father, who bullied him into believing that toughness is the essence of manhood, Cade insists on pushing past his injury and pursuing his dream.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
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Golden retrievers, while intelligent and eager to please, are more commonly found retrieving game, assisting as service animals, or acting as family companions.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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My father was a thirty-two-year-old tank commander who had crossed to occupied France shortly after D-Day, fought in the savage battle for Caen and then on through northern France.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Sep. 2025
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In other words, the festival space now occupies a similar footprint as the Kentucky State Fair, minus the South Wing and Freedom Hall.—
Kirby Adams,
Louisville Courier Journal,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Taylor and Travis corn maze will open on Saturday and folks at Johnson Farms hope the visitors will be enchanted.—
Tammy Ljungblad,
Kansas City Star,
12 Sep. 2025
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However, Labyrinth has since become a beloved cult favorite, continuing to enchant and delight viewers.—
Logan Karlie
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The guests were delighted by the surprise fireworks show.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Girl Violence, the result of that introspection, announces Strauss’ new chapter with songs that bloom and twist around themselves, echoing the fear and delight and increasing clear-eyedness that came along with each fresh experience.—
Maura Johnston,
Rolling Stone,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There was some confusion about whether the recommendation approved Friday sought to require those seeking COVID vaccination to have conversations with medical professionals about the risks and benefits involved before rolling up their sleeves.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Sep. 2025
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There was no shortage of pitcher’s duels between the two lefties, but the most memorable moments of their head-to-head battles involved Bumgarner in the box and Kershaw on the mound.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This enrapturing novel follows the fever dream aftermath of an author who wins a national literary award while another author visits a university that’s just experienced a mass shooting.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
31 Aug. 2025
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Last winter, Khamari parted ways with RCA, citing creative differences, and joined forces with independent record label Encore Recordings ahead of his new full-length, the enrapturing To Dry a Tear.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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However, one businessman actually took the bait; a partner at an undisclosed financial firm spoke with Rabinowitz after being intrigued by his message.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
17 Sep. 2025
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She was initially intrigued by a story about Costco taking a public stance on DEI that led her to come out of retirement to start her non-profit.—
Julie Kratz,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Enthrall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enthrall. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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