as in to concentrate
to fix (as one's attention) steadily toward a central objective
try to focus your attention on the task at hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest
in the 19th century Paris was the focus of the art world
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in compass
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle
a wildlife conservation organization that seems to have lost its focus
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of focus
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
The community also signed cooperation agreements with KPS, the Institute of Language Sciences of Shanghai International Studies University, AltStory, and Kuaizi, with the partnerships focused on data sets, linguistic corpus building, and research into AI agents.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 June 2026
Kiara Moore, The Washington Examiner, 7 June 2026
As Georgia's 2026 gubernatorial race begins to take shape, Black voter turnout is expected to remain a focus for both parties.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for focus
Verb
The team focused on overcoming a key limitation of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in zinc-air batteries.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
The community also signed cooperation agreements with KPS, the Institute of Language Sciences of Shanghai International Studies University, AltStory, and Kuaizi, with the partnerships focused on data sets, linguistic corpus building, and research into AI agents.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 June 2026
Noun
Despite the recognition, Burns said her focus remains on helping others rather than drawing attention to herself.
—Kiara Moore, The Washington Examiner, 7 June 2026
As Georgia's 2026 gubernatorial race begins to take shape, Black voter turnout is expected to remain a focus for both parties.
—Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for focus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for focus
Verb
-
Jongno's gay bars are concentrated on the more discreet second-floor levels overlooking Pocha Street, above the heterosexual rabble.—
Anton Hur,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 June 2026
-
Junior Ezra Nelson, who concentrates on water polo, emerged as a strong sprint freestyler and relay anchor.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Vegas played much of the night without center William Karlsson, who was being checked out on the bench for an apparent upper-body injury.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
-
Philadelphia declared a heat health emergency for Thursday and Friday, activating cooling centers, home visits by field teams, outreach to people experiencing homelessness and other services.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
The problem is that these estimates gradually accumulate errors over time, causing the navigational equivalent of a slowly drifting compass.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 June 2026
-
Today’s mothers are expected to be both hyperrational project managers — scheduling enrichment, monitoring nutrition, tracking developmental milestones — and deeply intuitive caregivers, continuously consulting their emotional compass for guidance about their children and themselves.—
Nina Bandelj,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!—
Wendy Naugle,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
-
Other major Filipino American hubs in the Bay Area include Union City and Vallejo.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Reid plays this so well, but the direction is a little over the top, with drug-trip visuals that are too distracting to follow the dense-as-ever disjointed narration.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
-
The suspect appeared to fire a gun indiscriminately in the direction of several people and then ran back toward the apartments, Perez said.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Its proximity to the fascinating capital of Kunming is also appealing for travelers who don’t intend to go to Tibet and never plan on leaving the city.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 June 2026
-
The missiles had been launched toward the Azraq area in the Zarqa governorate, which sits around 65 miles east of the country’s capital, Amman, the Jordanian armed forces said in a statement.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
While much attention since the fire has focused on rebuilding physical structures, Nemecek said preserving the ranch’s purpose is equally important.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
9 June 2026
-
And yet, while the animals in these stories are sacrificed to selfish purpose and whim, the human characters are astonished and haunted by them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Shop windows and the local museum display crafts from this wood-carving mecca.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
8 June 2026
-
The new hotel is also aiming to become a culinary mecca in Mallorca.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Focus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/focus. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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