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
Perhaps, then, fixating on the ground rules, like Nelson did, isn’t the right approach.
—
Quanta Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
Worrying about chip speed is like fixating on a car’s horsepower; most people will never even come close to needing maximum power or speed.
—Larry Magid, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
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
Quanta Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
Worrying about chip speed is like fixating on a car’s horsepower; most people will never even come close to needing maximum power or speed.
—Larry Magid, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fixating
Verb
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So, sometimes silence and solitude is necessary, and just like sitting on a plane watching nothing, doing nothing, just staring blankly at … it's called raw-dogging a flight.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
-
According to the criminal complaint in that case, a woman at a coffee shop drive-thru reported seeing a man, later identified as Trepanier, at the back of the building with his pants down and masturbating while staring at her.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Farran asked, gazing at their graves — cardboard signs smeared with handwritten Arabic because the war has made a proper burial in their village impossible.—
Isabel Debre,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Here's what to know about the timing, and if the weather will allow for moon-gazing activities.—
Mariyam Muhammad,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This seemingly reflexive action of whipping out their phones while gawking and filming isn’t a novel occurrence.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
-
Those are important characteristics for advertisers seeking to make dynamic campaigns for an audience that's grown accustomed to viewing short-form videos on Reels or gawking at cat photos on Facebook and Instagram.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Surveillance video provided by police shows two men dressed in all black, wearing masks, walking through the complex and peering into parked cars.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
-
To many consumers peering in from the outside, the options in China – on display in Beijing this week at the world’s largest auto show – seem like a dream.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
Then, a few years ago, everyone seemingly started watching women’s sports, and more mainstream exposure followed, as well as more critical coverage.—
Candace Buckner,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
In 2021, Caulfield opened up to PEOPLE about having a hard time watching Pfeiffer's star rise while his stalled a bit after Grease 2's release.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The vast acreage of the Newport Beach Golf Course has the city eyeing it for help meeting housing needs, a developer interested in building a surf park and golfers wanting to preserve an affordable option for their recreation.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
1 May 2026
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For Thomas, the first step is eyeing the board members who backed the plan.—
Dan Snyder,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Verb
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This is the monthly observing window — when moonlight no longer overwhelms the fainter stars and the sky begins to reveal itself again.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
-
New documents released by the Pentagon reveal that the Apollo 17 astronauts reported observing unidentified phenomenon during three consecutive days of their mission.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The Lord in your convent frightened me, Jesus with his bloody palms and gaping mouth, eyes rolled back in terror.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
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At a time when the ever-widening wealth gap in Los Angeles feels like a gaping hole, the pub’s name, an homage to the English folklore hero-outlaw, feels especially fitting.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fixating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fixating. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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