preoccupy
verb
pre·oc·cu·py
(ˌ)prē-ˈä-kyə-ˌpī 
preoccupied; preoccupying; preoccupies
1
: to engage or engross the interest or attention of beforehand or preferentially
2
: to take possession of or fill beforehand or before another
Examples of preoccupy in a Sentence
The question of life after death has preoccupied many philosophers.
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet anyone who has tried this, or really done any sort of serious creative work, knows that your central concerns will slip to the surface while your conscious mind is preoccupied with form.
—
Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 8 Dec. 2025
As for why North Texans weren’t head over heels for the World Cup, WFAA pointed to the local sports world being preoccupied with its own teams.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Dec. 2025
Although his oeuvre was preoccupied with love in all its shades, the image of James Baldwin that endures in American memory is profoundly isolated and aromantic.
—The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
President Richard Nixon, already fighting inflation and preoccupied by congressional investigations surrounding Watergate, made the rash decision to embargo soybean exports in June 1973.
—Time, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
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Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 8 Dec. 2025
As for why North Texans weren’t head over heels for the World Cup, WFAA pointed to the local sports world being preoccupied with its own teams.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Dec. 2025
Although his oeuvre was preoccupied with love in all its shades, the image of James Baldwin that endures in American memory is profoundly isolated and aromantic.
—The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
President Richard Nixon, already fighting inflation and preoccupied by congressional investigations surrounding Watergate, made the rash decision to embargo soybean exports in June 1973.
—Time, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preoccupy. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
preoccupy
verb
pre·oc·cu·py
(ˈ)prē-ˈäk-yə-ˌpī
1
: to hold the attention of beforehand
2
: to take possession of before another
preoccupation
noun
(ˌ)prē-ˌäk-yə-ˈpā-shən
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