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
ArsTechnica, 29 Sep. 2025
Ultimately, Ewing hoped that his community could focus more on the positive weekend Crawford had in his hometown after being honored with a parade.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Jack Korngold, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
His focus today is on fitness and community development.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for focus
Verb
That always amps up the pressure a bit, but the challenging layout of the track really forced me to focus on extracting the most out of the Mustang at low and high speeds.
—ArsTechnica, 29 Sep. 2025
Ultimately, Ewing hoped that his community could focus more on the positive weekend Crawford had in his hometown after being honored with a parade.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
That the students in those schools gained focus and confidence, learning to problem-solve in and out of class.
—Jack Korngold, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2025
His focus today is on fitness and community development.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for focus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for focus
Verb
-
This conversation concentrates on the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) as a Platonic model not only within the English language but in countless other linguistic ecosystems.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The organization takes care of the back-end logistics, from payroll and setting tuition to lobbying state legislators and navigating local zoning laws, freeing educators to concentrate on their craft.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For years, advocates for expanding child birth options in Kentucky have called on lawmakers to reduce barriers to establishing freestanding birthing centers.—
Killian Baarlaer,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Otherwise, any force will find itself without a compass or the means to deal with criminal groups.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Even the acronym of GPS jibed with her view of how a kid’s own resourcefulness could be used as an inner compass.—
Shawn Price,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
And the company reports compatibility with more donor bike styles, including commuter models, fatbikes, rear-hub ebikes and step-through frames.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Lagos is known as the Algarve’s top surfing hub.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
With both teams aiming to avoid a 1–3 start, this game presents an opportunity for one to gain momentum and establish a positive direction for the rest of the season.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
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Don’t pull over in the roundabout Roundabouts with a single lane of traffic in each direction are fairly simple – yield to traffic in the roundabout, wait for a gap in traffic and go through, Bryson said.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Prosecutors argued that Rocha knowingly and deliberately shot and killed Vasquez on July 19, 2022, in the closing arguments of the capital murder trial for Rocha.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
2 Oct. 2025
-
In this century’s first two decades, the city had become America’s most relevant and talked-about dining capital — fueled by affordable commercial rents, innovative talent and its access to choice ingredients from local purveyors.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Personality and purpose Upon entering the home, the first room one notices is Catherine's spacious office, which sits just to the left of the front door.—
Lennie Omalza,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
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While the Sixers theoretically have four centers, one is the brittle Joel Embiid, two are youngsters who haven’t clearly established themselves yet (Adem Bona and Johni Broome) and the other is a near-the-end Andre Drummond, who might also be traded for tax purposes.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Realistic set-ups, like a hospital bed complete with IV and an operating room laid out with special lighting and equipment, turn imaginative play into a storytelling mecca.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Madison Avenue, a mecca for upscale designer boutiques and art galleries, is a five-minute walk.—
Maya Kachroo-Levine,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Focus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/focus. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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