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 The child was transfixed, continued to add details and almost subconsciously used increasingly complex language throughout the activity. — Jeff Beck, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026 Now, instead of being mostly riveted to Mahomes, defenses figured to be transfixed by what to expect. — Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026 Choi's killing transfixed many in the Asian financial hub that has a very low level of violent crime. — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026 Eventually, he would be transfixed by the image of Erin Everly, who would be equally transfixed on the other side of the glass. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transfixed
  1. stabbed
  2. pierced
  3. punctured
  4. picked
  5. jabbed
  6. stuck
Verb
  • After an Omani national copilot — who has since been identified as 29-year-old Hamam al-Hammami — allegedly stabbed FlyDubai flight 1073’s pilot Capt.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The copilot allegedly stabbed the captain in the cockpit before passengers intervened aboard FlyDubai Flight FZ1073 after taking off from Dubai, UAE, with 182 people including eight crew members flying to Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday.
    — Sam Metz, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of stabbed
Verb
  • Pour the bean mixture into airtight freezer bags pierced the tip of a knife to create air holes.
    — Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
  • One item that wasn’t returned was his 3-year-old daughter’s car seat, which had been pierced by a bullet.
    — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of pierced
Verb
  • That notion reached its pinnacle after the Chiefs beat the Bills 32-29 in the AFC Championship Game but was punctured by their 40-22 clobbering at the hands of the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • As anxiety punctured the tranquility of the suburb, questions bubbled up on everything from the community’s water and pesticide use to abandoned oil wells underneath.
    — Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of punctured
Verb
  • Asked about immigration solutions for Congress to tackle, Latino voters polled picked investigating ICE as a top priority, alongside immigration changes like a pathway to citizenship and ending the immigration detention of children and families.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Having picked it up for its 2025-26 season, CBS then pushed it to the following 2026-27 season.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 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
  • Leaders get stuck because of a mindset, a relationship or a system that nobody has ever named out loud.
    — Drew McLellan, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Still, getting ourselves out via some traction boards would have saved on money, frustration and the embarrassment that accompanies getting stuck less than a mile from the highway.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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