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
Oral care has focused almost entirely on fluoride for decades, Hoss said, but fixating on any single ingredient misses the real drivers of oral health.
—
Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
And one detail everyone is fixating on is Brooklyn Beckham’s claim that his mom, Victoria Beckham, danced inappropriately with him during his wedding to Nicola Peltz.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 22 Jan. 2026
The benefit only kicks in when sensitivity is accompanied by the capacity for processing and moving on without fixating on the information.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Many New Year’s resolutions fail not because people lack motivation, but because fixating on a goal can initiate a self-defeating cycle of avoidance.
—Richard A. Friedman, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
Your task in 2026 is to stop fixating on how money will come and start embodying the version of yourself who already has it.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 23 Dec. 2025
The boy grew restless during the screening, instead fixating on topics like his drawing skills or the lack of toys in the facility, according to his parents.
—Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean, 19 Dec. 2025
Rather than remaining solely fixating on loafers, the releases are evolving with mash-up models like mary jane sneakers and Kith’s fusion of the Clarks Wallabee with Adidas technology.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 16 Dec. 2025
Parasocially fixating on microcelebrities who want their money.
—Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
And one detail everyone is fixating on is Brooklyn Beckham’s claim that his mom, Victoria Beckham, danced inappropriately with him during his wedding to Nicola Peltz.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 22 Jan. 2026
The benefit only kicks in when sensitivity is accompanied by the capacity for processing and moving on without fixating on the information.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
Many New Year’s resolutions fail not because people lack motivation, but because fixating on a goal can initiate a self-defeating cycle of avoidance.
—Richard A. Friedman, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
Your task in 2026 is to stop fixating on how money will come and start embodying the version of yourself who already has it.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 23 Dec. 2025
The boy grew restless during the screening, instead fixating on topics like his drawing skills or the lack of toys in the facility, according to his parents.
—Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean, 19 Dec. 2025
Rather than remaining solely fixating on loafers, the releases are evolving with mash-up models like mary jane sneakers and Kith’s fusion of the Clarks Wallabee with Adidas technology.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 16 Dec. 2025
Parasocially fixating on microcelebrities who want their money.
—Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fixating
Verb
-
Jordan Stolz, sitting opposite of the finish line staring at a large video board, looked at his coach and nodded.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Most of the crowd is talking quietly among themselves, oblivious to Trevor Yeakley’s gaze, except for two men staring daggers right back at him.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Images of Robbie in looks from archival John Galliano to custom Dilara Findikoglu, often gazing up at co-star Jacob Elordi, himself in custom Bottega Veneta, have been crowding our social feeds for weeks, well ahead of the film’s February 13 release.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The façade was pure marketing, with Schubert and Mozart gazing down on an arched display window that gave views into the rotunda.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Setting aside the gawking nature of certain style choices (the warped, swiveling, 360-degree shots used when someone starts talking about particularly demented ideas are nauseating on multiple levels), the series too closely mirrors its subjects’ insularity.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
-
If gawking at celebrities is your thing.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Zhao’s team realized that, for peering around corners, those longer wavelengths are actually an advantage, according to a press release.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
-
But at the time, mammography was a 40-year-old procedure that remained stubbornly analog—with doctors peering at sheets of X-ray film through jeweler’s loupes.—
Erik German,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the Apple Podcasts app, users will be able to switch between watching and listening to shows, as is the case on Spotify, potentially setting them up as a more direct competitor Users can watch video from within the app and move to horizontal full display and download videos to watch offline.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Instead, the crowd—which included Keke Palmer, Issa Rae, Amy Madigan, and Jesse Plemons—stayed seated and enjoyed a chill meal while watching the SNL star host do her thing.—
Paul Chi,
Vogue,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Building a car factory the US could take several years, but leading experts agree that most Chinese carmakers are already eyeing the US market.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Tan is also eyeing other high-growth markets in Asia, like Vietnam and Greater China.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Kids can build block houses, climb a rock wall, and crawl through a human-sized ant hill while observing the museum’s collection of insects.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Another day might be split between classrooms — co-teaching, modeling classroom management strategies or observing first-year teachers.—
Kathryn Muchnick,
Louisville Courier Journal,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The surge in construction of data centers and other large industrial consumers of electricity has created a gaping supply shortfall across Exelon’s territory, Butler said, and left its customers facing record-high prices.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
17 Feb. 2026
-
That left a gaping void into which extraterrestrial truthers could put just about anything.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fixating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fixating. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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