transfix

Over the next few days they fanned out, scanning the faces for a certain quality — one that would eventually transfix and flummox audiences in equal measure.

From New York Times ● Apr. 25, 2023

A local punk rock band, a cumbia ensemble, a breakout Spanish-language pop artist or a jazz quartet might transfix the room at any given moment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2022

He studies Beard’s practice with that kind of fascination that shows how a puzzle such as basketball can transfix some human brains forever.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 8, 2021

A sign of her charisma is that during the final tableau, as Aida and Radamès are expiring in the tomb, Amneris continues to transfix the attention: even when she isn’t singing, she dominates the stage.

From The New Yorker ● Oct. 4, 2018

The changing patterns of light transfix my sight.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

This Eden is enhanced by the birth of a son, Elio, whose beauty transfixes all who see him.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Instead, pieces like “Knee Play 1,” from the opera “Einstein on the Beach,” unfold like a mandala that transfixes the listener.

From New York Times ● May 26, 2020

When we have a narcissist acting out at the center of our attention whose moves both defy logic and spark negative emotions, that person sets off fireworks in our brains and transfixes our interest.

From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2017

He reveals the Real Truth about life with Charles Manson or O.J. or some tangential connection to that which transfixes us and demands our attention.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2017

The flashing of white, pink, and green briefly transfixes me.

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson

Dozens of men and boys stood transfixed as they watched Belgium play Egypt -- a much-anticipated fixture for Palestinian football fans eager to witness the prowess of their idol, Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

GKN Aerospace has apologized for the crisis, which transfixed Southern California over the holiday weekend and forced many residents to crowd into shelters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

The saga has transfixed Germans since it began, and has left islanders on Anholt bemused by the continued interest.

From BBC ● May 31, 2026

Murdaugh’s six-week trial in small-town Walterboro, S.C., became a global phenomenon as viewers were transfixed by the crumbling of a generations-old South Carolina family dynasty.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026

That night Ivanito stands by his sisters’ bedroom window transfixed by the branches of the tamarind tree, so black against the sky.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Therefore we'll parry with cloak what shafts thou shootest against us; And by our bolts transfixt, penalty due thou shalt pay.

From The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir

Had I but once transfixt thy froward breast, How would’st thou then——I staid not for the rest; But thus half angry to the boy replide: How would’st thou then my soul of sense bereave!

From Democritus Platonissans by More, Henry

From being transfixt by such a jibe Maupassant was preserved by Flaubert.

From Inquiries and Opinions by Matthews, Brander

Our critic praised the acting, saying “A quietly transfixing performance from Ayo Edebiri provides reason enough to see the Broadway revival.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Now, the foundations of their empire are cracking—raising questions about the once-sizzling industry’s future and transfixing Wall Street in a mix of schadenfreude and anxiety.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 2, 2026

Who impressed, and who has the most to do after a transfixing opening weekend of the Six Nations?

From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2026

What would “Ripley” be without its transfixing style, from the palpable isolation of a squalid New York apartment to the shadowy charms of ancient Italian streets?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2024

Yet Cloots saw now with transfixing clarity that he did not know him in the least—could never have known him.

From Where the Pavement Ends by Russell, John