as in interested
to hold the attention of
the video game busied the child for hours
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Recent Examples of busied
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
So, after the sombrero drew hearty guffaws, my friend Jim busied himself finding monuments to chip-and-dip tastelessness.
—Lee Michael Katz, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
After that, Cornell busied himself with his solo career and other endeavors before committing suicide in 2017.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Russia has for years busied itself with reopening its Soviet-era military bases in the Arctic, and with constructing new facilities across the region.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
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
So, after the sombrero drew hearty guffaws, my friend Jim busied himself finding monuments to chip-and-dip tastelessness.
—Lee Michael Katz, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
After that, Cornell busied himself with his solo career and other endeavors before committing suicide in 2017.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Russia has for years busied itself with reopening its Soviet-era military bases in the Arctic, and with constructing new facilities across the region.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for busied
Verb
-
These stories are not only fun to read, but also provide valuable information about ideas that interested early Christians.—
Christy Cobb,
The Conversation,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The character that interested me was (his alter ego) Norman Osborn.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
For many longtime viewers, the conclusion of that program marks the fading of a format that once occupied a central place in American culture.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The Orange County Board of Supervisors is guaranteed at least a bit of fresh representation this election cycle, as four candidates with civic leadership experience will contest for the open 4th District seat occupied by outgoing Supervisor Doug Chaffee.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The hardest problem in science The contents of our mental lives and the physical fabric of the reality we are immersed in appear to belong to two distinct domains.—
Conor Feehly,
Big Think,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Once immersed in clinical practice, her attention centered on cosmetic dentistry and orthodontics, where precision meets emotion and subtle changes can influence confidence and self-perception.—
Sixteen Ramos,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The three young players I'm most intrigued by are third baseman Kyle Karros, first baseman TJ Rumfield, and utility player Ryan Ritter.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Olympia’s ex-husband, Julian (Jason Ritter), the son of the head of the firm (Beau Bridges), is intrigued by Matty and her clever skills.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the movie, Kay becomes involved with the young Ping-Pong hustler Marty Mauser, played by Timothée Chalamet.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The research is being led by specialists involved in China’s air-defense radar development.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Spielberg has been fascinated by the UFO topic his whole career, with his 1977 classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind still considered by many to be the most compelling dramatization of the subject.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Mar. 2026
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Shawn, too, is wracked and fascinated by the human ability to smile and smile and be a villain.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Busied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/busied. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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