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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For a few seconds, everyone at Progressive Field — players, umpires, fans, cotton candy vendors — stared at the video board, awaiting the handy diagram that would determine whether the Cleveland Guardians’ lead was in jeopardy.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The couple sat in a vestibule inside the Aurora immigration detention facility on a Saturday in March, staring at each other through the glass barrier separating the incarcerated from the free.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 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
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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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The hair loss from GLP-1s is one of the most significant side effects that the beauty industry is watching, according to Audrey Depraeter-Montacel, Accenture's global beauty industry lead.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
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Want to sip margaritas and watch chihuahuas race for glory?—
Fritz Hahn,
Washington Post,
1 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
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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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The telescope will be used to observe the radio sky at frequencies below 50 MHz and will measure the low-frequency foreground of the universe.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
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Then be sure to read our guide to observing Earth's natural satellite, along with our picks of the best telescopes and binoculars for exploring the night sky.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Activities will include skill testing at the bike safety riding course, free safety checks and a repair station hosted by a local bike shop, a helmet fitting station with Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, safety education regarding bike and pedestrian rules and more.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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Many HOAs inquire about the rules regarding the installation of security-monitoring cameras.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
Oc Register,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fixate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fixate. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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