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Definition of focusnext
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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of focus
Verb
Instead of focusing only on wealth, nonprofits should identify individuals or organizations whose values, interests and past giving reflect a genuine connection to the mission. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026 Paula Schneider, the CEO of the Institute Advancing Women’s Health, a global nonprofit that focuses on improving women’s clinical care in midlife and after, noted that there is a lag in adopting new knowledge in clinical practice. — Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
That story began in the 1980s, when Film Fest Ghent adopted screen music as its calling card, a focus that led to the World Soundtrack Academy and Awards at the turn of the millennium. — Ben Croll, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026 The current focus for all involved is likely ensuring that a young man with a promising future achieves as full of a recovery as possible. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for focus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for focus
Verb
  • Market actors can innovate more freely, concentrating risk locally while allowing the state to disavow consequences should those experiments fail.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Founded in 1984 in Fiorenzuola d’Arda, in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, Pinalli has developed a strong retail network, largely concentrated in the higher-income areas of Northern Italy.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • These districts can be established within a city, county or cooperative area to create economic development projects like industrial sites, research facilities, job-training centers and distribution hubs.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The center will test uncrewed platforms under realistic operational conditions and threats, including degraded or denied communication environments.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Some cities use a grid that's aligned not with the compass but with local geography, like waterways or mountains.
    — Bill Chappell, NPR, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Think vintage navy portholes, ship compasses, and aircraft fuselage.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • These districts can be established within a city, county or cooperative area to create economic development projects like industrial sites, research facilities, job-training centers and distribution hubs.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Nearly a quarter of the world’s internet traffic reportedly passes through northern Virginia; London is largely served by two hubs in the Docklands and Slough.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 27 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Rare electrical behavior Antiferroelectric materials contain electric dipoles that naturally point in opposite directions.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The Full Moon in your sign puts your identity, desires, and personal direction under a bright light, making old compromises harder to maintain automatically.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • His American Dream Act would provide a five-year capital-gains tax exemption for homeowners 65 and older who sell their property to a first-time buyer.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Across industries, women continue to take on roles with greater control over capital, strategy and technology at some of the world’s most consequential businesses.
    — CNBC.com staff, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Unsurprisingly, developers creating single-purpose spaces placed controls on them, and not only racial ones.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Banks support off-balance sheet arrangements, such as special purpose vehicles, between private creditors and hyperscalers, which is raising concerns about systemic stability, especially in light of contractual activations.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Named for the massive cliffs that stretch across 32 miles of shoreline, Calvert Cliffs is also a mecca for fossil hunters.
    — Katie Riley, Southern Living, 20 Sep. 2026
  • But for lovers of all things sweet and creamy, Cheesecake Funk is today a veritable mecca for those in the know.
    — David Farley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Focus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/focus. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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