refocus

verb re·fo·cus \ (ˌ)rē-ˈfō-kəs \

Definition of refocus

transitive verb

1 : to focus again

2 : to change the emphasis or direction of

had refocused his life

intransitive verb

1 : to focus something again

2 : to change emphasis or direction

See refocus defined for English-language learners

Examples of refocus in a Sentence

She refocused her energies toward a career in music.
He needs to refocus his attention on his schoolwork.
Sports are not a priority now. You need to refocus and improve your grades.

Recent Examples of refocus from the Web

The Transparent writing staff, sources say, began reworking the upcoming fifth season following news of the first allegation against Tambor as the series mulled refocusing the show without its star.

— lesley goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "Jeffrey Tambor Says He's Leaving 'Transparent' Amid Harassment Claims," 19 Nov. 2017
Snell said he was baptized during his sophomore year, and finding God helped him refocus his priorities.

— stephan wiebe, Alaska Dispatch News, "For Chugiak’s Snell, the end zone is a familiar place," 5 Oct. 2017
The concerns prompted the company to refocus on safety procedures, BP Alaska president Janet Weiss said in an email to employees on Sept. 12.

— alex demarban, Alaska Dispatch News, "BP launches safety reset after 5 major leaks at North Slope operations this year," 20 Oct. 2017
In recent years, the company has closed locations and worked to refocus on growing sales at its namesake Ruby Tuesday.

— austen hufford, WSJ, "Ruby Tuesday to Be Taken Private in $146 Million Deal," 16 Oct. 2017
Here's hoping refocusing on a new Borderlands game will help Gearbox get back on track.

— kyle orland, Ars Technica, "Battleborn is Battledead: Updates halted after ~16 months," 18 Sep. 2017
After losing the moon race in 1969, the Soviets refocused their attention on robotic missions to the moon and Venus and long-term stations in Earth orbit.

— asif siddiqi, Slate Magazine, "Russia’s Space Program Is Struggling Mightily," 21 Mar. 2017
His achievements included refocusing the chamber’s workforce development programs, leadership development and internship offerings through the Metro Chamber Foundation.

— cathy locke, sacbee, "Sacrmaento Metro Chamber CEO to leave post | The Sacramento Bee," 31 Oct. 2017
The April leak lasted for three days and was one of five major leaks experienced this year by BP on the North Slope, leading the company earlier this month to refocus efforts on training and procedures.

— alex demarban, Alaska Dispatch News, "State regulators launch wide review of North Slope oil fields following BP leak," 31 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'refocus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of refocus

circa 1865

REFOCUS Defined for English Language Learners

refocus

verb

Definition of refocus for English Language Learners

: to adjust (something, such as a camera or a lens) again to make an image clear
: to cause (something, such as attention) to be directed at something different