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
Christopher Marquis, Time, 30 May 2026
Founded in 1997, the winery was among the first in Napa to focus exclusively on single-vineyard, single-varietal wines, meaning each bottle is tied to one specific site.
—Winston Ross, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Lanee Lee, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Although the Air Force shifted its primary focus toward HACM, elements of ARRW continue to influence newer hypersonic efforts and follow-on concepts.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for focus
Verb
But by focusing on what AI can make possible, the deeper questions these predictions miss is who will control those possibilities, and beyond job loss or gain, what kind of work is left behind.
—Christopher Marquis, Time, 30 May 2026
Founded in 1997, the winery was among the first in Napa to focus exclusively on single-vineyard, single-varietal wines, meaning each bottle is tied to one specific site.
—Winston Ross, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Noun
Barrel Proof in Germantown is the rare combination of world-class and unpretentious, a neighborhood bar with over 300 bottles, roughly 80 percent of them whiskey, with a particular focus on Tennessee labels.
—Lanee Lee, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Although the Air Force shifted its primary focus toward HACM, elements of ARRW continue to influence newer hypersonic efforts and follow-on concepts.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for focus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for focus
Verb
-
But the rally has become increasingly concentrated in a handful of heavyweight technology names, particularly memory-chip maker SK Hynix and electronics giant Samsung Electronics.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
-
These are staggering numbers amounting to 2%–3% of GDP, made all the more striking by how few hands they are concentrated in.—
Fortune,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
At the center of the case was Gavin Arvizo, a then-15-year-old cancer survivor from Los Angeles.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2026
-
An employee has died at the United States Postal Service's metro Atlanta distribution center, officials have confirmed with CBS News Atlanta.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
In truth, my compass spun in search of whiskey and other spirits, looking for how these spirits illuminated a culture.—
Lanee Lee,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Through a series of flight and lab experiments, researchers found pigeons can use special cells in their liver as an internal compass.—
Kasha Patel,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
-
Archer is scaling for the mega sporting event and attempting to build an operational hub for the area's impending air taxi network.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Since the Miss Universe Cuba franchise was established in Miami under the direction of Venezuelan lawyer and designer Prince Julio César in 2024, the city has become a hub for training beauty queens of Cuban origin who represent the island in international competitions.—
Sarah Moreno
May 31,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
-
The election is widely viewed as a verdict on the turbulent presidency of Gustavo Petro, who came to power in 2022, and on the future direction of Colombia’s political and economic model.—
Sebastian Jimenez,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
There’s a chance that the aurora borealis will appear in the sky above Idaho’s capital city on Thursday, June 4, according to the National Weather Service.—
Darin Oswald,
Idaho Statesman,
5 June 2026
-
Amsterdam was once widely treated as the gay capital of Europe, with a lively scene around Reguliersdwarsstraat that turned the city into an international hub in the late twentieth century.—
Jurriaan Teulings,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
My novel is about that sea-change and the search for purpose.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
While there is nothing particularly Jordanian about the design, the interiors serve multiple purposes for visiting business travelers and tourists.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Don’t Count on It Computex is a mecca for the classic desktop PC.—
Brian Westover,
PC Magazine,
28 May 2026
-
As anyone who's come within a hundred miles of the city will tell you, Nashville is a live-music mecca, overflowing with boot-stomping, fiddle-playing entertainment.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Focus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/focus. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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