as in to gaze
to look at or think about something constantly; to give all of your attention to something
—usually + on or upon
The cat was fixated on a small hole in the wall. Why do journalists fixate on scandals?
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Recent Examples of fixate
The national debate on healthcare costs often fixates on single solutions.
—
Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
Worrying about chip speed is like fixating on a car’s horsepower; most people will never even come close to needing maximum power or speed.
—Larry Magid, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Tubi Made 11 years before Life and Death, Broomfield’s first documentary on Aileen Wuornos captures the media circus surrounding America’s most famous female serial killer — including the bizarre story of a religious fanatic who fixated on and even attempted to adopt her.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
The inevitable tendency when someone goes like that — and many of us have had this happen in their lives — is to fixate on what was going through the person’s life.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fixate
Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 17 Apr. 2026
Worrying about chip speed is like fixating on a car’s horsepower; most people will never even come close to needing maximum power or speed.
—Larry Magid, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Tubi Made 11 years before Life and Death, Broomfield’s first documentary on Aileen Wuornos captures the media circus surrounding America’s most famous female serial killer — including the bizarre story of a religious fanatic who fixated on and even attempted to adopt her.
—Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
The inevitable tendency when someone goes like that — and many of us have had this happen in their lives — is to fixate on what was going through the person’s life.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fixate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fixate
Verb
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All three writers turned loving, humorous, piercing gazes on a particular place, exploring, through cycles of plays, the rich humanity and the grave historical wounds of its inhabitants.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
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One untitled work from 1994 shows a strange monster—a guard bent over, gazing back at us between his own legs, his upside-down grin framed by his jackboots.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ramzan looked to her, pleading, but Sakeena’s eyes only stared into their reflection on the glass patio door.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
-
Inning after inning, the staring contest continued.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Microsoft still retains its equity stake in OpenAI’s for-profit company, as that company eyes a possible IPO later this year.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In 2027, the space agency is eyeing up to 30 more uncrewed landings.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On the glass, the Lakers won the battle for the second consecutive game, 54-45 – a notable end to the series considering Redick harped on how the Lakers would have to fight against the Rockets – the top rebounding team in the NBA – in the series.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
2 May 2026
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According to the American Academy of Audiology, 50 decibels is considered a moderate level of noise likened to a running dishwasher, rainfall or a conversation.—
Abigail Hasebroock,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Verb
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These are not women who just help get their grandkids ready for school in the morning or watch them on a Saturday night; these are women who have chosen to become parents again, sparing their grandchildren from life in the foster system.—
Casey Cep,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
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And inside the adjacent soft pretzel shop, two workers leaned over on the counter, watching videos on a phone to pass the time.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Locals complained tourist gawked at them or traipsed through their yards.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Millions attended these exhibits and then went home to gawk at the vehicles at their local store.—
Jackie Charniga,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This is the monthly observing window — when moonlight no longer overwhelms the fainter stars and the sky begins to reveal itself again.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
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Talen observes in her book that historically, socially mixed neighborhoods emerged from economic necessity.—
Yunus Emre Tozal,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Once regarded as a mecca for luxury shopping, drawing visitors from across Chicagoland to experience a level of polish few suburban malls could hope to surpass, Northbrook Court today is something akin to a retail wasteland.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
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Last week, lawmakers struck a compromise on key language proposed in the crypto legislation regarding interest paid to users on stablecoin balances and activity.—
Tanaya Macheel,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fixate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fixate. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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