as in to interest
to hold the attention of
a puzzle will occupy that child for hours
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of occupy
The Oilers, the two-time defending conference champs, were picked by many to occupy the perch that the Ducks currently hold.
—
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
The United States kicked out the Spanish, occupied Cuba and proclaimed its desire to turn Cuba into an independent, sovereign nation-state.
—Joseph J. Gonzalez, The Conversation, 23 Mar. 2026
More recently, European ranchers occupied the island for about 150 years.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2026
The status now occupies an area by the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
—Chevall Pryce, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for occupy
Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 23 Mar. 2026
The United States kicked out the Spanish, occupied Cuba and proclaimed its desire to turn Cuba into an independent, sovereign nation-state.
—Joseph J. Gonzalez, The Conversation, 23 Mar. 2026
More recently, European ranchers occupied the island for about 150 years.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2026
The status now occupies an area by the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
—Chevall Pryce, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for occupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occupy
Verb
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And along with gender and empowerment, there’s also something about having bright colors and a lot of grief on stage that interests me.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
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Celebrity doesn’t interest Vernon Hills junior Yury Plaksin.—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The three countries have been trying to mediate a cessation of hostilities since Afghanistan and Pakistan renewed cross-border fighting in February, and had also been involved in helping broker a ceasefire between the two in October.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
-
At the time of the shooting, Harmon and his ex-wife, Britni Harmon, were involved in a child custody dispute, the release said.—
Claire Osborn,
Austin American Statesman,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump defended the elimination game formula of the show as critical for drama but was intrigued by my counterproposal and asked me to give him a year to figure it out and transition the show toward that model.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
23 Mar. 2026
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Her teammate and friend, James Twiggs, aka Love Story, was also intrigued while watching games with her dad.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rosen and his team have spent nearly 200 days on the road immersing themselves in 16 vibrant cultures.—
Emilee Coblentz,
Outside,
23 Mar. 2026
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After signing 30 players since Sullivan’s arrival, the Dolphins are now immersed in draft meetings, tape evaluation and attending Pro Days.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Emma shook her head and busied herself with picking up her waders.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
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While the former tracks profits and expectations, the latter busies itself with tangible stuff, from jobs and wages to GDP.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the story, a fictional scientist, Dobb, studies personoid theology and is fascinated by their struggles to understand the nature of their creator, leading to their eventual rejection of Dobb as a deity.—
Dimitris Tsementzis,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
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Ever since that fateful 1950s day in New Jersey when Steve Spielberg's father roused him from slumber to take a late-night rural drive out to watch a spectacular shooting star show, the legendary filmmaker has been fascinated with outer space and the mysteries of the cosmos.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Maya Beach is quieter and less expensive than nearby cities that attract more tourists, but home to one of the region’s most popular restaurants, Maya Bistro.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
22 Mar. 2026
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Over generations, those decisions reshaped entire neighborhoods, determining which corridors would attract capital and which would steadily lose it.—
Tonika Lewis Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These limits allow teams to engage from safer distances while staying mobile.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Mar. 2026
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With the stock-sized tires, ABS engaged immediately.—
Bryan Rogala,
Outside,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Occupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occupy. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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