as in gestures
an act or utterance that is a customary show of good manners
she enjoyed her suitor's old-school attentions
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of attentions
Both squads now turn attentions to their respective Summit League Championship tournaments this coming week.
—
Staff Report, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
Edward’s younger brother Robert (Lukas Gage) spends his days doing little but pining most inappropriately for the attentions of eldest sibling Jack (Jamie Bell), while the stunted, oversexed energy of lone sister Anna (Riley Keough) spits in all directions.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
As Noth's social media interaction gained traction, the actor downplayed his comment and told fans to cast their attentions elsewhere.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
Stir up some kind of fraternal rivalry for her attentions.
—Benjamin Markovits, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2025
As kobolds go, Heinzelmann was more harmless than most, going about his business protecting the castle from giants and dwarves and keeping the staff updated on faerie gossip, as well as protecting the chambermaids from unwelcome attentions from visiting noblemen.
—Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
The rivalry between the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs captured NBA fans’ attentions in the 2000s with both team led by superstars, one an American phenom who starred in the ACC in college and the other a European wunderkind revolutionizing the game.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2025
After the Christmas festivities conclude, Aruba’s attentions turn to Dande, a tradition whose name derives from the word for to wander in Papiamento, the Creole language that spans the ABC islands of the southern Caribbean.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025
Her vitality contrasts interestingly with his reserve — which could make for nice chemistry, but instead results in us largely ignoring him and focusing our attentions on her.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Staff Report, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
Edward’s younger brother Robert (Lukas Gage) spends his days doing little but pining most inappropriately for the attentions of eldest sibling Jack (Jamie Bell), while the stunted, oversexed energy of lone sister Anna (Riley Keough) spits in all directions.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
As Noth's social media interaction gained traction, the actor downplayed his comment and told fans to cast their attentions elsewhere.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
Stir up some kind of fraternal rivalry for her attentions.
—Benjamin Markovits, The Atlantic, 21 Dec. 2025
As kobolds go, Heinzelmann was more harmless than most, going about his business protecting the castle from giants and dwarves and keeping the staff updated on faerie gossip, as well as protecting the chambermaids from unwelcome attentions from visiting noblemen.
—Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
The rivalry between the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs captured NBA fans’ attentions in the 2000s with both team led by superstars, one an American phenom who starred in the ACC in college and the other a European wunderkind revolutionizing the game.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2025
After the Christmas festivities conclude, Aruba’s attentions turn to Dande, a tradition whose name derives from the word for to wander in Papiamento, the Creole language that spans the ABC islands of the southern Caribbean.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025
Her vitality contrasts interestingly with his reserve — which could make for nice chemistry, but instead results in us largely ignoring him and focusing our attentions on her.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attentions
Noun
-
No stage director was listed in the program, but with singers on a stage extension in front of the orchestra, a few subtle gestures lent striking effects.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Housekeepers from top hotels shared the small gestures guests can make to help cleaning services be more efficient.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With both courtesies and catastrophes refusing to conform, the canton’s school board, publishers, and clergy were forced to produce multiple editions of primers, textbooks, and catechisms; sometimes five parallel print runs were needed for a population the size of a town.—
Simon Akam,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
-
Leonora measures out her days in courtesies and slights, the former dominating the beginning of the book, the latter rapidly gaining ground.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Attentions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attentions. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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