as in to concentrate
to fix (as one's attention) steadily toward a central objective
try to focus your attention on the task at hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest
in the 19th century Paris was the focus of the art world
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in compass
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle
a wildlife conservation organization that seems to have lost its focus
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of focus
Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Enterprises that focus on back-office productivity, integration, and governance will capture real ROI.
—Mark Minevich, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
Medical applications are another focus.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for focus
Verb
The program will also focus on recent immigrants, especially international students, who may struggle to navigate unfamiliar healthcare systems.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Enterprises that focus on back-office productivity, integration, and governance will capture real ROI.
—Mark Minevich, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
McDaniel seemingly echoed his players’ sentiments, explaining that the focus should be on who made it over those that did not.
—Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2025
Medical applications are another focus.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for focus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for focus
Verb
-
Look at a small object, concentrating on its details.—
Elina Landman,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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As a result, retail investors are missing out on much of today’s economic growth, which is increasingly concentrated in private markets.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
24 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Discard the tired-looking center and separate clumps from the outer edges by hand or use a sharp knife or pruning saw.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Sep. 2025
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Public and private investors would develop the Gaza Strip into a center of tech innovation and tourism, with high-rises.—
Michele Chabin,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The compass and thermometer additionally feature luminous markings.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Aug. 2025
-
As a doctor myself, those words have been my compass in every diagnosis, every surgery, every hard conversation.—
Dana Suskind,
Time,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Combining a country-club atmosphere with world-class equipment, The Cue Club is set to become a hub as a professional venue of competitive excellence - fostering billiards education, skill development, and player income opportunity.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
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For more impressive scores, be sure to check out the retailer’s sale hub for more big bargains!—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Dashcam footage shows a car driving in the wrong direction on a highway in Spanish Fork, Utah, nearly striking other vehicles in its path.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
27 Aug. 2025
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Both situations are moving very quickly, in directions no one could’ve predicted.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Lisa, 28, wore a black maxi dress with cutouts, and paired the look with an extremely rare Hermès Birkin while in South Korea's capital city.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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At the club’s training ground in the Valdebebas district of the Spanish capital, both coaching staff and team-mates value the fact Ceballos can bring a style of play that is not so characteristic of the club’s other midfielders, more based on linking play.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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It hasn’t been approved by the FDA for that purpose and hasn’t been shown to be effective.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Sep. 2025
-
This article is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Test yourself on melon meccas and revolutionary roots in this week's American Culture Quiz.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Over the years, Hvar has earned a reputation as a mecca for club-goers—a place for people to come dance until sunrise and then ride the ferry back to the mainland, still drunk and reeling from the night before.—
Ivana Rihter,
Vogue,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Focus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/focus. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.
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