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 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 Trump began fixating on beef prices last fall, proposing in October 2025 to increase Argentine beef imports, drawing pushback from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and Republican senators from cattle states. — Alicia Park, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026 Rather than fixating on what was lost or what could come next, Park made a conscious decision to focus on what was in front of her. — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 11 May 2026 But Adams had a habit of fixating on his mistakes. — New York Daily News, 9 May 2026 Perhaps, then, fixating on the ground rules, like Nelson did, isn’t the right approach. — Quanta Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fixating

Verb

On top of that, many schools have kids spending lots of time on screens, even though staring at them for long periods can be stressful and exhausting.

— Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
Residents will encounter him perched on the air conditioner just outside their apartment, staring in.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of staring

Verb

Walking through the doors of Valkyrie Arms Training in Meridian, you are greeted by a large mural of 19th century women on the Western frontier, dressed in period gowns and gazing into the distance — and wielding firearms.

— Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026
The night sky has incredible depth, and there's nowhere better to learn how to appreciate that than when gazing at the Summer Triangle.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 24 July 2026

Definition of gazing

Verb

Instead, the skin-frying Friday saw common flow of people going through, gawking at the large screens and a group of sailors allowing some passing by to do pull-ups from a bar.

— Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 3 July 2026
The walk to the stadium is a mile or so along the Alaskan Way, where restaurants like the Crab Pot are opening up, but everyone is gawking at the street spectacle.

— Simon Hughes, New York Times, 24 June 2026

Definition of gawking

Verb

People mill around, peering into the Jeep, captured by a shaky camera that someone is streaming live to Instagram.

— Sydney Brownstone, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
About an hour and a half later, while peering over police tape blocking off the road in front of the campus, Kelly-Tuason lamented the violence that rattled the school and the surrounding neighborhood.

— Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 31 July 2026

Definition of peering

Verb

Nearby, guests participating in the butterfly release carefully held small containers before opening them and watching the butterflies take flight.

— Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026
These very same donors, Eustis said, are the ones who feel most excited to be sitting among the citizenry in Central Park, watching the beauty of public art unfold in a joyous communal atmosphere.

— Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of watching

Verb

Darline, who is eyeing a full term after being appointed by the governor to serve through January, was photographed weeping by her brother’s casket at the Capitol Rotunda earlier on Tuesday.

— Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026
Such firms – and many others worldwide – are eyeing a market that is poised to accelerate at speed.

— David Prosser, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of eyeing

Verb

Employees learn whether governance is real by observing what happens when speed conflicts with safety, revenue conflicts with fairness, or an executive sponsor receives unwelcome evidence.

— Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Birding, the practice of observing birds in their natural habitat and also known as bird-watching, has experienced a renaissance in recent years.

— The Conversation, Fortune, 27 July 2026

Definition of observing

Verb

As wellness clinics increasingly capitalize on the exploding interest in the chains of amino acids that promise everything from longevity to weight loss, a Washington Post investigation has found gaping holes in the nation’s regulatory system.

— Lauren Weber, Washington Post, 24 July 2026
Matt’s full transformation into Clayface — the true towering form with gaping mouth and deep, cavernous eyes — will be saved as a surprise for theaters.

— Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 21 July 2026