as in interesting
holding the attention or provoking interest
I found the exhibit on the Holocaust intensely gripping and quite moving
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in clenching
to have or keep in one's hands
gripped the handlebars tightly and raced down the hill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fascinating
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 intriguing
to hold the attention of
that movie will grip any true sports car fan
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in grasping
to reach for and take hold of by embracing with the fingers or arms
the baby gripped my fingers and wouldn't let go
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of gripping
Annika Pham, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett star in what certainly looks like a gripping spy thriller.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
The album’s pointed cover, showing a dolorous schoolboy gripping a phone while holding a basketball, hints at the weighty revelations contained therein.
—Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gripping
Adjective
The gripping drama, about a group of Swedish soldiers struggling with the complexities of war in the Balkans in the 1990s, screened earlier at Series Mania and Sarajevo Festival’s Avant Premiere Series.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett star in what certainly looks like a gripping spy thriller.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
Netflix brought its strongest slate in years to Italy, including Noah Baumbach’s George Clooney star vehicle Jay Kelly, Kathryn Bigelow’s gripping geopolitical thriller A House of Dynamite and Guillermo del Toro’s dark reimagining of Frankenstein, starring Jacob Elordi as the creature.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
The album’s pointed cover, showing a dolorous schoolboy gripping a phone while holding a basketball, hints at the weighty revelations contained therein.
—Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gripping
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gripping
Adjective
-
That's a really interesting way to put it.—
H. Alan Scott,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Sign up for our Park Life newsletter and find out what’s new and interesting every week at Southern California’s theme parks.—
Robert Niles,
Oc Register,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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New research published Thursday shows that octopuses have the ability to use any of their eight limbs to perform tasks like reaching, tiptoeing or grasping.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
14 Sep. 2025
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What lies beneath the surface is hardly a starting point for grasping the breadth and enduring impact of each work.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The result was a highly engaging, real-time campaign that blended entertainment, brand interaction and messaging into a single user journey.—
Ivan Ostojić,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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On the whole, the winners' speeches were thoughtful, moving and engaging.—
Alex Apatoff,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Despite getting the and-one call, Stewart fell to the court, clutching at her knee.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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Investing In Lifetime Relevance The winners in tomorrow’s economy won’t be those clutching diplomas from 20 years ago.—
Joseph Coughlin,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Then the picture begins to blur before coming back into clear focus to reveal Novak, still enchanting at 92, standing in a room filled with her paintings.—
Jeremy Helligar,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For every person holding the statue, there are four or five who came close and didn’t.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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The extra point was good but there was a holding penalty on the Rebels.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Read together, both studies also hinted at an intriguing contrast in how people were using chatbots in work contexts, compared to more personal ones.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
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And, to make matters more intriguing, not everything about the plasma changed between 2017 and 2021.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
20 Sep. 2025
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People are sorting into bubbles not just at work or online, but also while running errands or grabbing dinner.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gripping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gripping. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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