as in gazes
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 fixates
Annie, who was abandoned by her mother, fixates on the idea of finding her once again.
—
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Her character, Agnes, is introduced to these ideas after connecting with Peter, a Gulf War veteran who fixates on a bug problem in her hotel room as part of a larger theory about surveillance.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 5 Jan. 2026
Who would blame them for assuming that a woman who fixates on where her novels are placed at an airport bookstore cares about money and material things?
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
The video shows Zarutska sit in a seat in front of Brown, who fixates on her and after several minutes pulls out a knife and stabs her several times in the neck, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
—Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2025
During a hospital stay, Roy’s enfeebled mother fixates on the caste and religious affiliations of the doctors treating her—the sort of thing that will be familiar to anyone who has cringed at a diminished elder’s unfiltered prejudices.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Her character, Agnes, is introduced to these ideas after connecting with Peter, a Gulf War veteran who fixates on a bug problem in her hotel room as part of a larger theory about surveillance.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 5 Jan. 2026
Who would blame them for assuming that a woman who fixates on where her novels are placed at an airport bookstore cares about money and material things?
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
The video shows Zarutska sit in a seat in front of Brown, who fixates on her and after several minutes pulls out a knife and stabs her several times in the neck, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
—Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2025
During a hospital stay, Roy’s enfeebled mother fixates on the caste and religious affiliations of the doctors treating her—the sort of thing that will be familiar to anyone who has cringed at a diminished elder’s unfiltered prejudices.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fixates
Verb
-
Curving around the glistening, glacial Sarmiento Lake, an amphitheater of rooms gazes up at the Paine massif, with scenes constantly shifting depending on the time of day.—
Sarah Marshall,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Around unexpected corners, the ocean gazes at you, a bold stranger.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Another stares straight ahead, revealing no emotion, a mystery deepened by the bags under her eyes and the safety pin stabbed through her nose.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
13 Dec. 2025
-
In making the documentary, Craig stayed true to his and his brother’s body of work, which stares with unblinking eyes at the repercussions of violence.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Talarico’s numbers are notable and underscore the Senate Democratic primary will be hard-fought as the party eyes the chance to flip a Senate seat in the Lone Star State.—
Caroline Vakil,
The Hill,
2 Jan. 2026
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However, if the governing body eyes a group of six or seven, Aledo could stay with the Dallas-Fort Worth teams, as the Bearcats are farther east than Weatherford and Granbury.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The medical school does not have a minimum MCAT score requirement and uses a holistic evaluation that considers areas outside test scores and grades, according to the UCLA website.—
Jaweed Kaleem,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Advertisement To capture academic distinction at the highest level, the study also considers the presence of Nobel Prize and Fields Medal laureates among university alumni and staff.—
TIME Staff,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Changing Economics Deshpande also observes a broader shift in how films perform commercially.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Forced to make a restrained but irreversible decision, the film observes a man whose inner truth remains elusive, caught between devotion, dignity and loss.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The fact that Kizzi is down a foot does not stop her and Joe from being all over each other, while V watches on within an inch of losing her cool.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
27 Jan. 2026
-
At the premiere, Simon watches the finished film with his family.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Every time the user blinks, their eyelid rubs against the PDMS contact lens.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
12 Jan. 2026
-
No one blinks an eye today at the kind of vivacious, confident woman Margaret Avery portrayed in The Color Purple.—
Diedre Johnson,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the administration’s National Security Strategy regards Russia and China not as adversaries or even competitors but as partners in carving up the world.—
Robert Kagan,
The Atlantic,
18 Jan. 2026
-
China regards Taiwan as its own territory and maintains its right to take control of the island one day, including by force.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fixates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fixates. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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