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
In May 1940, German forces invaded and then occupied the Netherlands, with Belgium and France following shortly thereafter.
—
Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Dash cam footage from Newton’s car revealed someone on the driver’s side of the truck pointed a firearm out the window toward a white van, occupied by Nelson, Fairchild, Thorns and two other juveniles.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
Still, despite the change around him, Lafrenière occupies a fundamentally similar space on the Rangers’ roster; there simply aren’t many players in the mix who have his ceiling.
—The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
It’s located near Dadeland Mall in the King Creek’s shopping plaza in the space formerly occupied by Mamma Dora’s.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occupy
Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Dash cam footage from Newton’s car revealed someone on the driver’s side of the truck pointed a firearm out the window toward a white van, occupied by Nelson, Fairchild, Thorns and two other juveniles.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
Still, despite the change around him, Lafrenière occupies a fundamentally similar space on the Rangers’ roster; there simply aren’t many players in the mix who have his ceiling.
—The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
It’s located near Dadeland Mall in the King Creek’s shopping plaza in the space formerly occupied by Mamma Dora’s.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occupy
Verb
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And having fun to develop and nourish the strategy by being open to brand creativity and following advice from our partners, always having the customers interest in mind.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
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To read only the chapters that interest you?—
Sophia Rosenfeld
September 26,
Literary Hub,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Many who took the survey saw Goldberg-Polin as too moral to get involved in the rough and tumble world of Israel’s fractious political scene.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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Later that day, police received a tip of a weapons complaint involving a juvenile.—
Cathy Kozlowicz,
jsonline.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The budding businessman was intrigued when its owners put the business up for sale at $27,500 in 1981—and jumped on the opportunity to buy it.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
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Earlier this month, Netflix confirmed that Janney and her screen husband Bradley Whitford had been upped to series regulars for season four so expect both to be at the center of all the series intrigue this season.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Manheim speaks music fluently, having grown up in New York immersed in the ska scene of the 1990s.—
Shirley Halperin,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
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Bailey immersed himself in the euphoria, even sneaking into a Wicked sing-along at the cinema to get the full fan experience.—
Olivia-Anne Cleary,
Time,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After that, Cornell busied himself with his solo career and other endeavors before committing suicide in 2017.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Directly after its 1979 revolution, Iran busied itself with internal enemies.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Known for roles in Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian, Giancarlo admits that antagonists have always fascinated him because of their complexity.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
4 Oct. 2025
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The Dan Marino quotes lining the walls of Hard Rock Stadium fascinated the AD.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Stierli is particularly concerned with the situation at Great Falls, where trails and picturesque cliffsides along the Potomac River attract many visitors, especially with this weekend’s pleasant weather.—
Brian Todd,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
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Polanski has attracted a number of Labour activists from the Corbyn era, such as the best-selling Marxist author Grace Blakeley and the former Corbyn spokesperson Matt Zarb-Cousin.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Others—such as an eagerness to engage someone in combat—work in the gym, ring, and battlefield but become counterproductive and even destructive outside of those contexts.—
Dan Brooks,
The Atlantic,
2 Oct. 2025
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The program teaches children about connections between people, animals and the environment, and ways to engage locally to help all three.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Occupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occupy. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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