as in to fascinate
to attract or delight as if by magic
the clown captivated the toddlers with his balloon tricks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in appeal
the power of irresistible attraction
by some mysterious method of captivation, the therapist is able to evoke a response from even the shiest of children
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of captivate
Dan Howarth, Architectural Digest, 25 Feb. 2025
The walls of the cars were covered with ads aimed at captivating a particular kind of person, and everyone on the train had the seed of that particular person somewhere inside themselves.
—Hannah Gold, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
For more than 70 years, the SS United States captivated the hearts and minds of Americans for her distinguished beauty.
—Forrest Brown, CNN, 19 Feb. 2025
The film’s captivating narrative, visuals and thematic exploration will surely appeal to audiences worldwide.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivate
Verb
Abboud draws from global influences in her work and elevates timeless style with exquisite materials, vintage lighting, and captivating architectural elements.
—Dan Howarth, Architectural Digest, 25 Feb. 2025
The walls of the cars were covered with ads aimed at captivating a particular kind of person, and everyone on the train had the seed of that particular person somewhere inside themselves.
—Hannah Gold, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
For more than 70 years, the SS United States captivated the hearts and minds of Americans for her distinguished beauty.
—Forrest Brown, CNN, 19 Feb. 2025
The film’s captivating narrative, visuals and thematic exploration will surely appeal to audiences worldwide.
—Jamie Lang, Variety, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for captivate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for captivate
Verb
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Their affair gives poignant momentum to The Deepest Breath, which is fascinated with athletic obsession.—
Lisa Wong Macabasco,
Vogue,
7 Mar. 2025
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The grand monuments, enigmatic gods, and legendary rulers of Ancient Egypt have fascinated the world for centuries.—
David Nikel,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
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One unexpected development is that Reddit, long dogged by a reputation for mischief and mayhem, has achieved a kind of mass appeal.—
Adrienne LaFrance,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2025
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For Shirazi, part of the appeal of government work was the security.—
E. Tammy Kim,
The New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Instead, General Catalyst is in rapid expansion mode — trying to build the sort of diversified, fee-generating asset base that would entice Wall Street analysts to use firms like Blackstone as comps.—
Dan Primack,
Axios,
28 Feb. 2025
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But the black-and-white film about two Black couples, played by the same actors, living in Chicago during two different time periods, didn’t entice distributors.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Their rites could not be revealed to those outside the cult and were therefore a source of great fascination to the wider populace.—
Barbie Latza Nadeau,
CNN,
28 Feb. 2025
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Read: Behind the American right’s fascination with Viktor Orbán Putin and Russia always held a special place in Trump world, however.—
Garry Kasparov,
The Atlantic,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Visit during sunrise or sunset for enchanting views of Christoffelberg.—
Curaçao Tourist Board,
AFAR Media,
26 Feb. 2025
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The competition’s ultimate underdog story belongs to Calais and the team of talented and spirited fourth-tier part-timers who enchanted the whole of France by battling their way to the final in 2000.—
Tom Williams,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Finally, bloodsuckers from The Sims 4 Vampires can simply charm the burglar into leaving — after taking a quick sip from her, of course.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
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Set on a slope above the village where Roger Moore lived, skied, charmed, and died, it is set on 45,000 acres overlooking a large swimming pool and a small, frozen lake.—
Rachel Johnson,
airmail.news,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The city has an opportunity to build an international attraction that would resonate for generations to come, Warren told a crowd of supporters at the Bears current home, 100-year-old Soldier Field.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2025
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Sharing a bed, for example, is quite the talking point and speaking bluntly about your attraction to someone is downright gasp-worthy.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Since 1986, Dolores and Lupe Mendez have been delighting South Siders with soul-satisfying breakfast tacos and other early-morning staples like huevos rancheros.—
Edmund Tijerina,
Bon Appétit,
27 Feb. 2025
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The players’ receptiveness to the nickname delights Liam.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Captivate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/captivate. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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