FIXATING Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

fixating

verb

present participle of fixate

as in staring

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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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 fixating But fixating on carbon in this way carries an unintended consequence. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026 For more advice on how to stop fixating on your body image, listen to this episode of NPR's Life Kit. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026 The ear popping and discomfort caused by changing cabin pressure may be completely normal, but knowing that doesn’t necessarily stop you from fixating on it. — Brandon Schultz, Travel + Leisure, 21 Aug. 2026 Robbins recommends watching trends over weeks and months rather than fixating on last night’s number. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026 This move also reveals more about billionaire philanthropy than only fixating on the tax issue. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 30 July 2026 Next year’s draft is also why there’s no point in fixating on wins and losses this season. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 13 July 2026 This is Leeds taking care of today, rather than fixating on tomorrow and the potential of a player. — David Ornstein, New York Times, 24 June 2026 People are fixating on celebrities of all kinds, accusing singers of body-positive anthems of being hypocritical, rolling their eyes at athletes promoting weight loss drugs and whispering about the thinness of their favorite movie stars. — Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 29 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fixating

Verb

Once there, staring at the devastation, there was no denying the reality of death.

— Torie Bosch, STAT, 5 Sep. 2026
This, like Hamlet, is about staring death in the face and fulfilling a dream not thought impossible.

— Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of staring

Verb

Lodging options include houseboats along the banks of the Kennebunk River with private rooftop decks for gazing at the autumnal views.

— Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Predictably, this set off a furious round of acrimonious criticism, know-it-all navel-gazing, and schadenfreude.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of gazing

Verb

Such an approach runs the risk of gawking at an unfamiliar people, their hegemonies and their ways of life, even with the best intentions.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
On most days the Jewel House in the Tower of London is packed with tourists gawking at the fabled British Crown Jewels.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of gawking

Verb

Looking down from the steep glass enclosure wrapping the ethereal oculus is like peering down from a cliff.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
After some major modifications, it's set to begin its five-year mission peering at new supernovas, distant galaxies and planets orbiting stars outside our solar system.

— Berly McCoy, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of peering

Verb

Finland has emerged as a key location for data centers amid the AI boom, with hyperscalers and developers eyeing its available land and power, which is in short supply throughout most of Europe.

— Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
Lawmakers have been eyeing changes like prohibiting lawmakers from dating staff members, updating reporting systems and retaliation protections, and increasing educational and training resources.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of eyeing

Verb

One challenge in this field is that no single observing technique can reveal every type of planet.

— Thomas Fauchez, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026
Wickersham spent more than a year writing his book and cultivated the background from a sportswriting life spent observing QBs.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of observing

Verb

Her daily life is kept together as a mother, wife and worker who pops pills to keep going, tries self-help, but deep down (maybe not even that deep) is in denial about the gaping hole in her life.

— Pete Hammond, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026
Blast left a gaping hole in the roof Ali Mallahi, a cousin of the bride, pointed to a gaping hole in the roof of a room that took a direct hit in one of the compound’s four houses.

— Amir Vahdat, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026