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
Relevance
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
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of focus
Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 4 June 2025
Expert Insight Jo Hayes, an etiquette specialist with a background in speech-language pathology and a focus on social-language trends, told Newsweek that Tonne is tapping into a real shift.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 June 2025
Ara’s practice focuses on domestic and international transactions across entertainment, sports and media, representing clients in M&A and financing transactions including private-equity firms, investors, sovereigns, lenders and borrowers.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for focus
Noun
By Jones is a writer with a strong focus on health, parenting, disability, and feminism.
—Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 4 June 2025
Expert Insight Jo Hayes, an etiquette specialist with a background in speech-language pathology and a focus on social-language trends, told Newsweek that Tonne is tapping into a real shift.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
Verb
The training will focus on enhancing animation technique, speed, character performance, and expressivity—preparing participants to contribute to upcoming stop-motion feature productions.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 June 2025
Ara’s practice focuses on domestic and international transactions across entertainment, sports and media, representing clients in M&A and financing transactions including private-equity firms, investors, sovereigns, lenders and borrowers.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for focus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for focus
Noun
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The hurricane center had also begun using a new forecast map, which highlighted in red the risk of flooding posed to the area.—
Greg Allen,
NPR,
1 June 2025
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While most campaigns historically focused on physical infrastructure, many now include less visible priorities: legal clinics, policy centers, and public interest litigation units.—
Michelle Mbekeani,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
Noun
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Don’t be afraid to dive into the unknown; let your heart’s desires be your compass.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
27 May 2025
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From that point the Porcupine flows about 430 miles to join the Yukon… The compass always hung around my neck, beneath binoculars, and a 35-mm camera.—
Alann B. Steen,
Outdoor Life,
21 May 2025
Verb
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Must be hard concentrating on work with all those Mauna Lani beach chairs beckoning.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
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This magisterial work, greeted with greatest praise from its first volume and still seen as a landmark of historical writing, concentrated on the late seventeenth century.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
10 June 2025
Noun
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With more than 300 employees and offices in California, Illinois, Florida, and India — as well as regional hubs in New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Arizona — IDIQ continues to scale its reach while staying rooted in its original vision.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
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Known for its poultry slaughterhouses, Gainesville is now a manufacturing hub where startups can find engineers and greenfield sites.—
Patrik Jonsson,
Christian Science Monitor,
3 June 2025
Noun
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His regular-season numbers are astonishing, but so are his postseason stats… in the opposite direction.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2025
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This would entail Lopez heading to the English capital and Christopher Nkunku travelling in the opposite direction to its Catalan counterpart.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
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Haitians continue to flee poverty, hunger and political instability deepens while police and a U.N.-backed mission fight a surge in gang violence, with armed men controlling at least 85% of its capital, Port-au-Prince.—
Chris Megerian,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
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Gangs control at least 85% of its capital, Port-au-Prince, and have launched attacks in the country’s central region in recent years.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
Noun
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This was still wild country, and Fuller set off with the express purpose of producing a book about her journey.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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These rituals included a physical action, an emotional expression and a shared sense of purpose.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Noun
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The century-old hotel is famous for its Spanish colonial revival design, and longtime denizens still proudly reference its history as a mecca of Black music after World War II, when the likes of James Brown and Billie Holiday played its famous club.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
2 June 2025
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Known as a mecca for watersports, everyone pauses to bask in the brilliant purples, pinks, and oranges that splash into the sky as the late afternoon transitions to evening.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Focus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/focus. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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