transfixed

verb

past tense of transfix
as in stabbed
to penetrate or hold (something) with a pointed object transfixed the inanimate butterfly specimens to the collection board

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 transfixed OpenAI’s foray into hardware has transfixed techies for more than a year, with speculation about the AI company’s forthcoming mystery gadget ranging from a smart speaker to a wearable device. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 27 July 2026 The image could be a still from a film about an alien invasion, although the ominous light almost makes the figures seem like cinemagoers transfixed by something unsettling playing out onscreen. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 24 July 2026 As more recordings leaked in recent days, the country was transfixed. — Kevin Sieff, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026 To no one’s surprise, Bonnie is immediately transfixed by her Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee, whose arrogant smarm effectively threads the needle between Maya Hawke’s Anxiety and Regina George’s everything else). — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 June 2026 But his case has transfixed Norway due to his ties to the heir to the throne. — Gwladys Fouche, USA Today, 15 June 2026 The basketball community has been transfixed by this year’s unpredictable NBA Finals between San Antonio and New York. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 12 June 2026 But Johnson said that didn’t mean he wasn’t transfixed by Wednesday night’s dramatic NBA Finals comeback by the Knicks against the San Antonio Spurs. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2026 Artists such as Chandler Walters, Noeline Hofmann, Gareth and Caylee Hammack also had listeners transfixed at their respective sets throughout Saturday afternoon in Music City. — Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transfixed
  1. stabbed
  2. pierced
  3. punctured
  4. picked
  5. jabbed
  6. stuck
Verb
  • Two people were stabbed, one fatally, near Times Square on Monday afternoon, with responding authorities shooting and killing the female suspect, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
    — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2026
  • One of the two people who was stabbed also died, while the other victim was hospitalized in stable condition.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of stabbed
Verb
  • The bullet pierced the restaurant glass and left a diner with a minor injury.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The morning following the storm, co-owner James Durawa told WISN 12 News that a tree pierced part of the restaurant's tin roof and would cost about $18,000 to remove.
    — Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of pierced
Verb
  • The crash broke more than a dozen ribs, punctured her lungs and left her with spinal cord injuries that left her in a wheelchair.
    — Joshua Goodman, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Her joy at having another child was quickly punctured by grief, as her 20-year-old son, Daniel, died suddenly three days later while visiting his mother and newborn half-sister in the hospital.
    — Imani Sumbi, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of punctured
Verb
  • Each flower must be picked and carefully dissected to remove three tiny red threads, known as stigmas.
    — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Kreeger and Fernandez Rundle picked through hundreds of dresses, shoes, T-shirts and designer jeans.
    — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of picked
Verb
  • Workers have been increasingly jabbed while on the job as needle-style medications — more specifically GLP-1s — have risen in popularity.
    — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu jabbed back against the prevailing narrative yesterday, saying she was never invited to participate in the WNBA’s 3-point contest this weekend.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of jabbed
Verb
  • After being stuck open in the rain, fans cheered when the roof closed.
    — Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Kohl’s decided in 2016 to close one of its big box stores in Roswell, but no one knew the building’s fate would be stuck in purgatory for the next decade.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of stuck

Browse Nearby Words

transfix
transfixed
transfixes
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Cite this Entry

“Transfixed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transfixed. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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