arrest somebody's attention

A sudden knock at the door arrested our attention; it opened.

There was one old daguerreotype, however, which arrested my attention.

Perhaps that was why my story had arrested her attention so fully.

But at last he took a turn that arrested Hawkins's attention.

The quality of the sounds changed so greatly that it arrested my attention.

As she turned to leave, a clattering arrested her attention.

And a certain action of her fingers as she spoke arrested my attention.

I do not encourage such conversations, but the words arrested my attention.

Something in the appearance of the two riders arrested his attention.

He was moving on again when something arrested his attention.