GRIPPED Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

gripped

verb

past tense of grip

as in clenched

to have or keep in one's hands gripped the handlebars tightly and raced down the hill

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fascinated

to hold the attention of as if by a spell that true crime story gripped me as much as any whodunit

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in interested

to hold the attention of that movie will grip any true sports car fan

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in grasped

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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of gripped On the microphone, his promos conveyed a no-nonsense intensity that equally gripped viewers. — Rudy Chinchilla, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026 Hundreds of mourners later gathered at Rehman Baba cemetery for mass funeral prayers as grief gripped the neighborhood and announcements echoed from mosque loudspeakers, urging residents to join in prayers for those killed. — Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026 The decision was a shocking twist in the high-profile case, which has gripped the public for years and sparked several true crime podcasts, books and documentaries. — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 At the time when Jackson’s remains were found, the West was gripped in severe drought. — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 As grief gripped the neighborhood, announcements broadcast over mosque loudspeakers urged residents to attend mass funeral prayers for those killed at the nearby Rehman Baba cemetery. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 Others gripped plastic cups of golden beer and paper cups of Yorkshire tea. — Vanda Mayer, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026 Secondly, as markets remain gripped by concerns around long-term public debt and fiscal sustainability globally, Gower acknowledged that higher bond yields remain a challenge for non-yielding assets like gold. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026 The effort is part of a growing pro-play movement emerging as the next phase of the ed-tech backlash that gripped classrooms across the country, and spurred cellphone bans and screen time limits. — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gripped

Verb

Parents rushing to a reunification center, hearts clenched with the hope of finding their children among the survivors.

— Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
All of the grandeur and energy of Pollock’s looping brambles and cords are clenched in Krasner’s versions.

— Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of clenched

Verb

Kember, who grew up in a Catholic household, and Pierce, the son of a proselytizer, were fascinated by spirituality.

— Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
In 2008, passionate surfer Tim Russo purchased the property, renamed it, and set out to organically grow it into a resort full of wonder where serious surfers and travelers fascinated with the surf lifestyle could vacation happily.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of fascinated

Verb

In a first round that portended a lengthy and bloody fight, the Dodgers clutched to a 1-0 lead after three innings with ace Tarik Skubal on the mound and Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski headed for the showers.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
While in front of a judge, Siders, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, kept shielding her stomach and clutched her belly, The Daily Mail reported.

— Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of clutched

Verb

My daughter was enchanted by the Balinese rice-on-the-forehead ritual for good fortune that is a part of the arrival, and the front desk staff happily indulged her request to do it again—multiple times a day.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Oct. 2026
Perhaps too enchanted, as Pitt lost his date on the dance floor that night.

— Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of enchanted

Verb

But then an acquaintance asked how the London lamppost ended up in the middle of Narnia’s woodland, and Lewis was intrigued enough by the question to start a prequel, The Magician’s Nephew, in order to find an answer.

— Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026
Of the four-person ensemble, I was most intrigued by Rachna Khatau, the wild card of the group whose roles are the most slyly scheming and unpredictable.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of intrigued

Verb

The rapper, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center since he was arrested in September 2024.

— Daniel S. Levine, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
That means every state budget could be held hostage until the whims of a small fraction of legislators is satisfied.

— Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 6 Aug. 2025

Definition of held

Browse Nearby Words

griping

gripped

gripping

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Gripped.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gripped. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of gripped

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes