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
Bailey Allen, Cape Cod Times, 11 Apr. 2026
The team focused on 9,10-bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene, a model material used to study how energy moves through light-emitting systems.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Apr. 2026
Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 12 Apr. 2026
But again, there’s a lot of work to be done between now and the midterms, and that’s where the focus is going to be first.
—NBC news, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for focus
Verb
The Ocean State has several laws designed to keep drivers focused, ensuring nothing interferes with the proper operation of a vehicle.
—Bailey Allen, Cape Cod Times, 11 Apr. 2026
The team focused on 9,10-bis(phenylethynyl)anthracene, a model material used to study how energy moves through light-emitting systems.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
But beyond parking, one major focus of the original Union 93 proposal that would remain, Evarts said, is walkability.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 12 Apr. 2026
But again, there’s a lot of work to be done between now and the midterms, and that’s where the focus is going to be first.
—NBC news, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for focus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for focus
Verb
-
The vice president also seemed to echo Trump’s assertion that Leo should concentrate less on global affairs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Voters were also asked to choose the members of a bicameral Congress for the first time in more than 30 years, following recent legislative reforms that concentrate significant power in the new upper chamber.—
Franklin Briceño,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Rising electricity rates have been a fault line in recent campaigns, especially as enormous data centers are built to power artificial intelligence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Hager, who worked at three ARC centers during the span of nearly a decade, said those kinds of groups that ARC billed for were the standard and forging group notes was common.—
Alex Acquisto,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
If Paul’s creed is essentially Roman, then Christianity looks, from the outset, like a religion trained to live with empire, its compass always set toward placating power.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
When your business broadens beyond the familiar faces and places where trust was once built naturally, that systematic clarity becomes your new compass.—
Samuel Mueller,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Many states covet the ecosystem created by North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, a massive biotech and life sciences hub positioned between the Tar Heel State’s top universities.—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The current Hayward site became Azuma’s headquarters and manufacturing hub in 2009.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But Jude’s subsequent movies have gone in a less conventional direction.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Costner's character John Dutton was later written out, a turning point that reshaped the show’s direction ahead of its final episodes.—
Danielle Minnetian,
FOXNews.com,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even as China remains one of Iran’s biggest diplomatic allies, President Xi Jinping’s support for the Islamic Republic is being constrained by a vast trail of Chinese capital across the Gulf.—
Bloomberg,
Bloomberg,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The capital murder trial of Tanner Horner entered its second day on Wednesday, and the jury watched several hours of video showing law enforcement interrogation of Horner and the discovery of 7-year-old Athena Strand’s body.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This material is for illustration and discussion purposes and not intended to be, nor construed as, financial, legal, tax or investment advice.—
Katie Stockton,
CNBC,
13 Apr. 2026
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But the purpose of her art shifted after the events of 9/11, as the fabric of American identity was tested, and some groups, such as Sikhs, particularly those wearing traditional turbans of the faith, faced cultural discrimination and misunderstanding.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tullman’s new complex will, of course, hardly stand alone in a city that long has been a mecca for magic.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Las Vegas is a mecca for cuisines from around the world, including Mexican, but Cantina Contramar is arguably the most significant opening by a Mexican chef in the city.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Focus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/focus. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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