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
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
Prominent politicians felt more comfortable insisting that the hikes should remedy the gaping holes Europe currently has in capability, rather than fixating on a percentage.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 16 Feb. 2025
Some conservative groups in South Africa have misrepresented facts about farm murders, sensationalizing them by fixating on exceptionally violent cases and promoting the idea that all farm murders are politically and racially motivated.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
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
Prominent politicians felt more comfortable insisting that the hikes should remedy the gaping holes Europe currently has in capability, rather than fixating on a percentage.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 16 Feb. 2025
Some conservative groups in South Africa have misrepresented facts about farm murders, sensationalizing them by fixating on exceptionally violent cases and promoting the idea that all farm murders are politically and racially motivated.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fixating
Verb
-
The stately Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is a ubiquitous presence in Quebec City, always peering down on visitors from its highpoint on the Cap Diamant escarpment.—
Vjosa Isai,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Adding to the difficulties was the fact that the operation relied on large transport planes not designed for search and rescue—planes that flew high and fast, with crews peering through small windows over large wingspans.—
Francine Uenuma,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Casting of new roles is expected to begin shortly, with production eying a July start, sources said.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
14 Mar. 2025
-
The Warriors are currently riding high on a five-game win streak, and are eyeing a potential top-four seed in the West.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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For McCullough, practicing Islam and observing Ramadan with others while in prison is a blessing.—
Shanzeh Ahmad,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2025
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More than 200 members of the Brooklyn community lined up along the sides of Ocean Parkway observing the aftermath of the tragic accident as police blocked off the scene.—
Julian Roberts-Grmela,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The rule could have prevented the government from considering important health research in setting pollution limits.—
Eric Nost,
The Conversation,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Robert Saleh, former New York Jets head coach This might be the most popular hire among fans, considering that Saleh ran the 49ers’ 2019 defense, the unit the team has aspired to match ever since.—
Matt Barrows,
The Athletic,
8 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fixating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fixating. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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