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
Hormendy also cautioned the media about fixating on distraction.
—
Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
No surprise, then, that Kim is initially skeptical of Sean’s conspiracy theories, assuming her aimless husband to be fixating on trivial nonsense.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
Parasocially fixating on microcelebrities who want their money.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
He’s haunted by the specter of aging — apparent in Styles’s fixating on wellness in interviews and roasting his own hairline on Brittany Broski’s Royal Court — and has hinted at private anguish over the death of One Direction’s Liam Payne.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
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
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
Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
No surprise, then, that Kim is initially skeptical of Sean’s conspiracy theories, assuming her aimless husband to be fixating on trivial nonsense.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
Parasocially fixating on microcelebrities who want their money.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
He’s haunted by the specter of aging — apparent in Styles’s fixating on wellness in interviews and roasting his own hairline on Brittany Broski’s Royal Court — and has hinted at private anguish over the death of One Direction’s Liam Payne.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fixating
Verb
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Who could forget a picture, which graced the cover of Artforum more than a decade ago, of an uncannily adult baby staring sagaciously into the lens, its hand placed gingerly over its heart in a gesture that looks like reverence?—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
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Police said security footage from the store shows customers staring and retreating before 53-year-old Tammy Canut of North Huntingdon walks into the frame naked.—
Meghan Schiller,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Frenza whispers to herself, gazing at her reflection in the mirror with the bottle in her hand, raising a toast to her own intelligence and ironic wit, which are, in her opinion, her most powerful protections against the world.—
Agnieszka Szpila,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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The springs are the perfect location for a picnic and an afternoon spent lounging and swimming in the pool of clear, clean spring water and gazing at the small waterfall.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On a typical day, the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale reverberates with animal cries and the footfalls of gawking visitors.—
Shi En Kim,
AZCentral.com,
20 Feb. 2026
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Armed soldiers patrolled in droves, spreading hate and fear everywhere, blindfolding children, pointing guns, gawking, spitting, laughing at us like animals in the zoo.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Missions to Mars have looked for signs of photosynthesis – the process by which plants take in energy – and telescopes peering deep into space look for oxygen, which organisms on Earth release into the atmosphere.—
Mary Magnuson,
The Conversation,
20 Mar. 2026
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Wonyetye had been arrested just a few weeks prior on a misdemeanor charge of night prowling after he was caught peering through windows in Lake Worth, The Palm Beach Post reported in 1991.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Chief among them are the many boat trips from neighboring Cabo San Lucas (a 35-minute drive away) particularly during whale-watching season, which runs from December to April.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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Enough time has passed that watching the final episode — the plane crash and its aftermath — wasn’t difficult for Noonan.—
Kate Storey,
Rolling Stone,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The latest move shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise, Meta was already eyeing the existing market of billions of people with imperfect eyesight.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
29 Mar. 2026
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When Miami's Liam Hicks lined out to first baseman Troy Johnson for a double play, Colorado's victory looked secure, and Vodnik was eyeing his first save.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The wars in Iran and Ukraine will be top of the agenda, while South Africa, which was supposed to attend as an observing nation, says France withdrew its G7 invitation after the US threatened to boycott.—
Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
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Kay visited a university snow observing site in the Rockies this week and found only patchy, slushy snow cover that was melting rapidly.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If Wilson gets in, those votes will come right out of Johnson’s hide and leave a gaping hole in his chances.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
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Do poking wires, falling straps, and gaping cups ruin your day?—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fixating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fixating. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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