spellbind
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of spellbind
1800–10; spell 2 + bind, deduced from spellbound
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I saw him spellbind a room reciting Sophocles.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 11, 2023
And yet, onstage, under the pink LEDs, the dancers spellbind.
From New York Times ● Jul. 7, 2020
“Throughout his life in jazz, Cecil continues to spellbind or infuriate listeners.”
From Reuters ● Apr. 6, 2018
The assorted facts tailored to fit these spaces spellbind Navy buffs and pros.
From Time Magazine Archive
We here at the Mumbai Young Filmmakers Council are all in agreement that Miss Mehra possesses the unique ability to truly transform her characters on-screen in such a way as to spellbind her audience.
From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon
“Charming built-ins” and “exposed wood beams” give the interior a vintage feel, while the lush landscaping outside is equally as spellbinding.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
If Gellar didn’t have such a spellbinding screen presence, one might think she was the common denominator factor in all of these failed series.
From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2026
But she eventually brushed herself down and stunned the onlooking crowd with her spellbinding third run, her coach bursting into tears at the realisation of what Choi had achieved.
From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026
Meant to be all-powerful and spellbinding, he comes across as merely eccentric.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
As that spellbinding first drive unfolded to give Permian a 7—0 lead, Hankins knew it was over even though there were more than three quarters of football left to play.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
As her landscapes show, Münter was spellbound by Murnau’s simplicity and sincerity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 10, 2026
The spellbound astronauts pinned themselves to the windows, the first humans to see the far side of our nearest celestial neighbour.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2025
Also, Joni Mitchell played “Coyote,” accompanied by Dylan, for spellbound band members at Gordon Lightfoot’s house.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2024
But Las Vegas seems spellbound by the Super Bowl, which is making its first appearance in a place that the N.F.L., not so long ago, avoided to the point of parody.
From New York Times ● Feb. 8, 2024
I found a very stable-looking rock on the fringe of one of the largest pools and sat there cautiously, spellbound by the natural aquarium below me.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
