BUSIED Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

busied

verb

past tense of busy

as in interested

to hold the attention of the video game busied the child for hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of busied That’s certainly how Republicans busied themselves in the last two years of the Biden administration, when Hunter Biden got more airtime than pharmaceutical ads. — Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 2 Sep. 2026 While their fellow Plums busied themselves with bridal parties and wedding cakes, these girls had political awakenings. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 27 May 2026 Appropriately, 19 miles east of their first major trophy lift since the 2021/22 League Cup, City men busied themselves by lifting the FA Cup over Chelsea in what was Pep Guardiola’s 24th visit to Wembley Stadium and his 20th major trophies as City manager. — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 17 May 2026 Another busied himself writing and rewriting the mundane information on his slate. — Taran Khan, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026 Emma shook her head and busied herself with picking up her waders. — Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026 The department has also busied itself in Minneapolis with prosecuting residents opposed to what federal officials are doing in their city and immigrants trying to flee their pursuers, a tactic seen in other cities targeted for immigration enforcement. — Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026 For the first 12 minutes, the Celtics busied themselves by snapping up free points. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026 Eventually, though, after the Falcons recovered an onside kick successfully and knelt the rest of the way en route to a 19-17 victory, the family busied themselves jumping up and down, screaming for joy. — Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 5 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for busied

Verb

What interested me most was the psychic cost of doing this work day in and day out.

— Clayton Davis, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
Someone interested primarily in direct one-to-one dating may place less value on its community emphasis.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of interested

Verb

The current structure, which houses the watch store Bucherer, among other tenants, was built for IBM in 1983, but from 1938 to 1964 this site was occupied by the technology company’s headquarters and showroom.

— Alec Mapes-Frances, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
Elsewhere in Europe, a huge encampment of tents has occupied a square in Madrid since late last month, and thousands of people in Portugal have taken to the streets in the city of Lisbon.

— Richard Engel, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of occupied

Verb

In the fall of 2025, two years after Chody’s search began, the brand reached out and proposed a collaboration—one that she’d be immersed in from every step of the way.

— Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 29 Oct. 2026
Pollard has also been immersed in surrealism and dada, fitting genres for a musician and visual artist who has a knack for bending words and images to his will — either via hallucinatory lyrics or collages that mesh realms both physical and meta.

— Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of immersed

Verb

Still, there were a number of real-life court cases that intrigued him as a storyteller with a journalism background.

— Tomris Laffly, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
Played by Steve Earle, Dale offers Lee a sandwich, but Lee is more intrigued by a novelty mug in the cab of his truck.

— Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of intrigued

Verb

On a visit to the Bargello sculpture museum in Florence, Italy, a 3-year-old friend of mine was fascinated by its statues’ naked butts.

— Blake Gopnik, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026
He’s always been obsessed with historic epochs like the Civil War and World War II and fascinated with the post-war boom and the sojourns of Route 66.

— Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of fascinated

Browse Nearby Words

bushwhacks

busied

busies

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“Busied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/busied. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of busied

verb

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