refocus

verb re·fo·cus \ (ˌ)rē-ˈfō-kəs \

|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Examples: refocus in a Sentence

Definition of refocus

refocused; refocusing; refocuses

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

There wasn't really much of a community to pick up the issue at the time, as quantum mechanics was gaining traction, and a World War disrupted the scientific community and refocused it on applied physics.

— john timmer, Ars Technica, "Gravitational waves and the slow pace of scientific revolutions," 30 June 2018
The desire to refocus on tortillas’ importance is already spreading far beyond Mexico.

— hilary cadigan, Bon Appetit, "In a Land of Tortilla Factories, Enrique Olvera’s New Tortilleria Is Doing It Old School," 20 June 2018
After several months of Republican efforts to shore up their California seats by campaigning against Democratic sanctuary state laws, Democrats see the migrant children issue as an opportunity to refocus the immigration debate.

— joe garofoli, SFChronicle.com, "California Democrats call out tragedy on the border, and seek to gain from it," 18 June 2018
Those words helped Moreno refocus on his 113-pound match during the first round of the wrestling state meet at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

— dave melton, Post-Tribune, "Lowell's Andres Moreno gets 'mind in the right place' at wrestling state meet," 16 Feb. 2018
The microscope also automatically refocuses, allowing surgeons to see the distance between blood vessels and nerve structures without manually adjusting their equipment.

— rebecca lurye, courant.com, "UConn Health Is First U.S. Hospital With Augmented Reality Surgical Microscope," 12 July 2018
The episode refocused investors on the weaknesses in Italy’s economy as European policy makers attempt to pull back on post-crisis monetary policies.

— ben eisen, WSJ, "Global Economic-Growth Story Fades, Dimming Market Optimism," 3 June 2018
Now the strategic realities of peer competition and the recognition that globalization will never lead to a borderless world are refocusing the U.S. strategic vision and China is squarely at the center.

— rodger baker, Fortune, "Commentary: Trump and Kim Are Both Unconventional. That Might Help Them Strike a Deal.," 2 May 2018
Some of the issues facing the Longhorns, particularly on the defensive end, can be corrected through refocusing and staying engaged for 40 minutes.

— nick moyle, San Antonio Express-News, "NCAA survival at stake in UT-Baylor matchup," 11 Feb. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

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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