as in to attract
to hold one's attention to an extreme degree
The TV show obsessed me so much that I was up all night watching.
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Recent Examples of obsess
Colin Gray knew his son was obsessed with school shooters, even having a shrine in his bedroom to Nikolas Cruz, the shooter in the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, prosecutors have said.
—
Jeff Martin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
More often than not, the discrepancies between Fennell's Wuthering Heights and its source material pander to the female gaze rather than to historical bean counters who are obsessed with sticking to the outdated script.
—Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
The teenager was obsessed with school shootings, prosecutors told the jury during opening statements.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 17 Feb. 2026
Since Bart had reconciled with his father before the old man’s death, his continuing to obsess about the past doesn’t prove very interesting.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obsess
Jeff Martin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026
More often than not, the discrepancies between Fennell's Wuthering Heights and its source material pander to the female gaze rather than to historical bean counters who are obsessed with sticking to the outdated script.
—Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
The teenager was obsessed with school shootings, prosecutors told the jury during opening statements.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 17 Feb. 2026
Since Bart had reconciled with his father before the old man’s death, his continuing to obsess about the past doesn’t prove very interesting.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for obsess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obsess
Verb
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The website attracts hundreds of thousands of views, and her TikTok account has already grown to over 10,000 followers.—
Joseph Erbentraut,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Feb. 2026
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Since then, its footprint has expanded to eight locations nationwide and attracted a clientele ranging from Arnold Schwarzenegger to André 3000.—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Even study or doing a mental journey of some kind will interest you and satisfy your crave for excitement.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
24 Feb. 2026
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Dreams — probably interests with a hint of values in Welch’s terms — aren’t enough.—
Sarah Jackson,
CNBC,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Systematic excavations at Pompeii began in the mid-1700s, and the site has fascinated historians and visitors ever since.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
19 Feb. 2026
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Then, there are the pesky vampirologists Theobastus Bombastus (André Jung) and Nepomuk Afterbite (Marco Lorenzini), who’ve arrived at this hotel for a vampire conference and are fascinated by Erzsébet’s legend, and my god, her gowns, too.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Ever since Benjamin Franklin’s lightning experiment in the 18th century, civilization has been intrigued by the idea of capturing lightning in a bottle.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 Feb. 2026
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The evolution of the moons in the Saturn system and the origin of the rings are interesting puzzles that have intrigued scientists, said Linda Spilker, a senior research and planetary scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory who was not involved with the study.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obsess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obsess. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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