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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Recent Examples of fixating
While old-school tactics still proliferate, research by many institutions shows that the principles generally deliver better workplaces, happier customers, and superior long-term profits—paradoxically, by not fixating on profits.
—
Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
In the New York Times, Schmidt—yes that same guy who was talking up AGI in April—urged Silicon Valley to stop fixating on superhuman AI, warning that the obsession distracts from building useful technology.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
Some lottery players take their time carefully picking their tickets, fixating on the right set of numbers.
—Daniella Segura, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2025
Europe is right to increase defense spending, but fixating on defense budgets alone can obscure important decisions about how to best spend the money.
—Michael E. O’Hanlon, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2025
Intentionally or not, some people missed the point, fixating on whether Jews could accurately be called Semites or insisting that Arabs were also Semites — given that Arabic, like Hebrew, is a Semitic language — and therefore couldn’t be considered antisemitic.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2025
For example, instead of fixating on the specifics of an algorithm, focus on how the AI solution will achieve a specific business objective, such as reducing processing times by 20% or improving customer satisfaction scores.
—Navdeep Malik, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
This reviewer loves a good montage, and these ones brought it back to acting instead of fixating too much on the year’s films and TV (which still had plenty of opportunity to shine).
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 24 Feb. 2025
Claiming ignorance or hyper-fixating on a flippant detail from the past gets us nowhere.
—Claire Franken, TVLine, 23 Feb. 2025
Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
In the New York Times, Schmidt—yes that same guy who was talking up AGI in April—urged Silicon Valley to stop fixating on superhuman AI, warning that the obsession distracts from building useful technology.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2025
Some lottery players take their time carefully picking their tickets, fixating on the right set of numbers.
—Daniella Segura, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2025
Europe is right to increase defense spending, but fixating on defense budgets alone can obscure important decisions about how to best spend the money.
—Michael E. O’Hanlon, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2025
Intentionally or not, some people missed the point, fixating on whether Jews could accurately be called Semites or insisting that Arabs were also Semites — given that Arabic, like Hebrew, is a Semitic language — and therefore couldn’t be considered antisemitic.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2025
For example, instead of fixating on the specifics of an algorithm, focus on how the AI solution will achieve a specific business objective, such as reducing processing times by 20% or improving customer satisfaction scores.
—Navdeep Malik, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
This reviewer loves a good montage, and these ones brought it back to acting instead of fixating too much on the year’s films and TV (which still had plenty of opportunity to shine).
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 24 Feb. 2025
Claiming ignorance or hyper-fixating on a flippant detail from the past gets us nowhere.
—Claire Franken, TVLine, 23 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fixating
Verb
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The Irish are 0-1 and staring at an idle weekend with plenty to work on after a 27-24 loss in Miami on the Sunday night of Week 1.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
2 Sep. 2025
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But after weeks of staring at bare ground, a few green shoots pushed through the dark silt.—
Lila Hempel-Edgers,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The myth is that Lady Murasaki, during a visit there after her husband died, was struck with the inspiration to write her chef d’oeuvre while gazing up at an August moon.—
Lauren Groff,
The Atlantic,
20 Aug. 2025
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My favorite memory at Arches involved lounging beneath the sandstone and gazing at the stars.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Nunn has a divided audience, as the Baddies show is fueled with drama, with Jerry Springer style fights to keep viewers gawking.—
Nadja Sayej,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The team met briefly in an office park but split up after workers started peering at their SUVs with tinted windows.—
Elliot Spagat,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
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Known for raising his arms like a human DeLorean while peering in for his sign, Kimbrel has been prone to bouts of wildness.—
Dan Schlossberg,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Comments will also be easier to view while watching Reels.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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Not even Mother Nature would stop him from watching his two favorite soccer teams compete against each other.—
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Amazon is doubling down on Sweden, pouring billions into data centers that power its AWS cloud empire while eyeing the country’s emergence as a NATO logistics hub and Northern Europe’s e-commerce epicenter.—
Dennis Mitzner,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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Florida and the Caribbean may be in for a storm-free Labor Day Weekend, but forecasters are eyeing a new disturbance in the Atlantic for next week and beyond.—
Alex Harris,
Miami Herald,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Pick an observing spot with a clear view of the eastern horizon.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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However, the Japanese team has overturned this by observing a giant AHE in a nonmagnetic material.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But there are also lots of question marks, including a gaping social divide between those who have and have not taken up arms against Russia.—
Tamar Jacoby,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Years of low immigration, combined with Japan’s plunging birth rate, have left gaping holes in the workforce as the elderly population swells and the younger population shrinks – pushing the government to seek out more international tourists and migrant workers in recent years.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fixating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fixating. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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