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
Parasocially fixating on microcelebrities who want their money.
—
Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Delivering solid financial growth has become more important than ever for Netflix as management has steered investors from fixating on how many subscribers its service gains from one quarter to the next.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
The trust economics of modern hospitality Although occupancy rates are important business metrics in the hospitality industry, fixating on them shows a misunderstanding of the economics of hospitality in the digital age.
—Ascend Agency, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
Some teams — Stoke in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Brentford now — might find that fixating on long throw-ins works.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Threat hunts often risk tunnel vision — fixating on a single artifact or path.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The trio regrouped with nearly a dozen other musicians in the studio, fixating on improvisation.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Sep. 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
The Ed Gein Story doesn’t want to leave anything to the imagination, but also wants to criticize viewers for fixating on and becoming increasingly desensitized to monstrosities.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Delivering solid financial growth has become more important than ever for Netflix as management has steered investors from fixating on how many subscribers its service gains from one quarter to the next.
—Fortune Editors, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
The trust economics of modern hospitality Although occupancy rates are important business metrics in the hospitality industry, fixating on them shows a misunderstanding of the economics of hospitality in the digital age.
—Ascend Agency, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
Some teams — Stoke in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Brentford now — might find that fixating on long throw-ins works.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Threat hunts often risk tunnel vision — fixating on a single artifact or path.
—Tony Bradley, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
The trio regrouped with nearly a dozen other musicians in the studio, fixating on improvisation.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Sep. 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
The Ed Gein Story doesn’t want to leave anything to the imagination, but also wants to criticize viewers for fixating on and becoming increasingly desensitized to monstrosities.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fixating
Verb
-
The pair ignored him and continued to walk away, leaving Frank staring in their direction for several seconds.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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There’s a picture of me, not quite a year old, in a blue sailor suit and a red ribbon tied around my neck, staring avidly at a picture book.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But gazing at the field of red clay just feet away from his front door gives him the feeling that Charlotte’s growth is climbing on top of him.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Dismukes commented, while gazing into Padilla's eyes.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
But the cringe-comedy antics of the original NBC series landed far better in Season 3 than in Season 1, once audiences began to truly love the characters instead of just gawking at them.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
-
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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This way of peering at screen culture from an inexact distance, which also comes up in a scolding scene where Ethan scrolls aimlessly through something like TikTok, rankles in a play that is otherwise so precise about physical time and space.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
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As even the tiniest speck of dust, or nearby city lights can break equipment or make noise in readings, remote areas like Kitt Peak offer sanctuary to astronomers peering deep into space.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Hunter stretches, too, to weld the play’s interest in the act of watching television to stargazing.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
-
What’s it like watching yourself smooch so many different women on camera?—
Kristen Baldwin,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Utopia, which acquired North American rights over the summer, is eyeing a theatrical release in early 2026.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The producers are eyeing a shoot in Northern Ireland and Ireland in spring 2026.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Kika explores a particular collision of collapse and reinvention, observing how financial precarity and pressure can erode personal boundaries and generate unexpected forms of empowerment.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Stargazers interested in creating a lasting view of the transient visitors to Earth's sky should check out our guide to observing and photographing comets, along with our roundups of the best cameras and lenses for astrophotography in 2025.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
At the crux of those tensions are a gaping trade imbalance and efforts from the US to ensure its national security against an increasingly assertive China, including by expanding restrictions on China’s access to American high tech, like the advanced semiconductors needed to power AI.—
Betsy Klein,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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The tour started with a look at the gaping hole at the back of the home where the porch and its sliding doors once stood.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fixating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fixating. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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