gripping 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of grippingnext
as in interesting
holding the attention or provoking interest I found the exhibit on the Holocaust intensely gripping and quite moving

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

gripping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of grip
1
as in clenching
to have or keep in one's hands gripped the handlebars tightly and raced down the hill

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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

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3
as in intriguing
to hold the attention of that movie will grip any true sports car fan

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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

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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 gripping
Adjective
Most of the time — most memorably during the film’s gripping, dialogue-free heist sequence — Melville does this without words at all. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026 MobLand is a gripping crime drama with an all-star cast, featuring Tom Hardy as Harry Da Souza, a problem solver for London's Harrigan crime family. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
The jaw works quite well, with a stiff hinge and rubberized inner panels for gripping the top of your monitor. — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 13 Sep. 2026 Though the adaptation softens Sophoclean ambiguity in favor of moral clarity, commanding performances and lush costumes, projections and Indigenous music create a gripping spectacle that renews the Getty’s classical theater tradition. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gripping
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gripping
  1. interesting
  2. clenching
  3. fascinating
  4. intriguing
  5. grasping
  6. engaging
  7. clutching
  8. enchanting
Adjective
  • The pressure is on the Dodgers, and if the Braves can steal a game in Los Angeles, things could get interesting.
    — AJC.com, AJC.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • There are also some interesting features of the actual delivery of the first two as well.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of interesting
Verb
  • Years ago, after Jake died, my instinct as a medical student was anger — clenching my teeth and jabbing a pen into my notepad, making a line of inky holes along the margin.
    — Caroline Cherston, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Janet held the phone away from her ear, clenching her teeth against Maggie’s booming voice.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
Definition of clenching
Verb
  • The trailer promises fascinating new characters, like one man who lives on a sailboat for most of the year.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Wilentz, author of the 2010 book Dylan in America, wrote Volume 18‘s detailed, often fascinating 125-page liner notes that provides historical context for the expansive eight-CD set.
    — Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 7 Nov. 2025
Definition of fascinating
Verb
  • The female forward is in front of the camera, behind the camera, really getting women, intriguing them to come to the service and watch.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The first four episodes made available for review likewise have tiny sparks of interest, from some witty dialogue to genuine plot momentum to intriguing new characters popping up.
    — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 21 June 2026
Definition of intriguing
Verb
  • Three months after his brother’s murder, Leroy still has a hard time grasping his family’s new reality.
    — Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Congress ultimately adopted this image in the Great Seal of the United States in 1782, with a bald eagle grasping 13 arrows in one foot, and an olive branch representing peace in the other.
    — Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of grasping
Adjective
  • Elise Armani and Katy Siegel, an art history PhD candidate/museum curator and an art history professor, respectively, coauthor in an engaging voice, and their joint expertise ranges impressively across media.
    — Anna Kornbluh, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Excellent, from the thorough and intuitive spa therapists, to the engaging and sweet girls who run the kids’ club, the generous ice-cream scoopers at the Haagen-Dazs counter, and the nothing-is-too-much-trouble front desk.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of engaging
Verb
  • During the investigation, the sheriff's office said the 15-year-old girl was clutching her bag tightly and started to reach inside.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Wednesday, after beating the Houston Astros 7-3 to advance to the American League Division Series, Venable was standing inside a raucous clubhouse clutching a bottle of La Marca Prosecco.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of clutching
Verb
  • Even the Owens family’s enchanting New England home, which the internet has spent nearly three decades foaming at the mouth over, is barely seen, as much of the film takes place overseas.
    — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Practical Magic 2 has Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman enchanting a new generation of fans, but not everyone from the original cast returned for the sequel.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of enchanting

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Cite this Entry

“Gripping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gripping. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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