as in attracts
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 obsesses
Much to Bear’s astonishment, the wish comes true, but with unintended consequences as Nikki dangerously obsesses over him and resorts to deadly measures to prove her love for him.
—
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Tullman also hired Bre Smith as his executive vice president, an artist in her own right but also a veteran of hospitality at the Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey and elsewhere, and a woman with a hefty budget who obsesses over everything from the flatware to the level of customer service.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
While the market obsesses over chips, the real story is Nvidia's 'five-layer stack' designed to squeeze hyperscaler margins and lock-in the generation of agentic AI.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2026
While Washington debates deepfakes and Silicon Valley obsesses over LLMs that write poetry, the global economy is hitting a physical wall.
—Vivek Ranadive, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
Trump obsesses over bloodlines too.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
The narrator cries, rages, longs for the living body and the lively boy, and obsesses over painful details, especially the bleak journey by sea that brought the remains of his beloved friend back home.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The story follows trauma nurse Aly Cappellucci, who obsesses over masked men on social media, fantasizing about them chasing her down.
—Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 26 Jan. 2026
Two nights later, Bregman got the celebrity treatment in a United Center suite while watching a Chicago Blackhawks game, an outing that drew attention in a city that obsesses over sports the way Washington revolves around politics and Los Angeles draws an identity from Hollywood.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Tullman also hired Bre Smith as his executive vice president, an artist in her own right but also a veteran of hospitality at the Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey and elsewhere, and a woman with a hefty budget who obsesses over everything from the flatware to the level of customer service.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
While the market obsesses over chips, the real story is Nvidia's 'five-layer stack' designed to squeeze hyperscaler margins and lock-in the generation of agentic AI.
—Fred Imbert, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2026
While Washington debates deepfakes and Silicon Valley obsesses over LLMs that write poetry, the global economy is hitting a physical wall.
—Vivek Ranadive, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
Trump obsesses over bloodlines too.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
The narrator cries, rages, longs for the living body and the lively boy, and obsesses over painful details, especially the bleak journey by sea that brought the remains of his beloved friend back home.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The story follows trauma nurse Aly Cappellucci, who obsesses over masked men on social media, fantasizing about them chasing her down.
—Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 26 Jan. 2026
Two nights later, Bregman got the celebrity treatment in a United Center suite while watching a Chicago Blackhawks game, an outing that drew attention in a city that obsesses over sports the way Washington revolves around politics and Los Angeles draws an identity from Hollywood.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obsesses
Verb
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The annual event attracts a mix of neighbors, returning supporters and first-time visitors.—
Nick Lunemann,
CBS News,
24 June 2026
-
This channel attracts brands too, with long-term deals with Old Spice, the NFL, movie studios and tourism boards.—
Steven Bertoni,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Verb
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There is something magical about a firefly that fascinates young and old alike.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
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There is something about the play Harvey that fascinates me, especially for right now.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Verb
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That’s what intrigues them about coming to work for a large company that’s constantly evolving.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
8 June 2026
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The essential nature of magic especially intrigues physicists like Swingle, who hope to use it on a quantum computer to simulate how gravity behaves in situations where general relativity fails.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Focus on how your team members can learn and grow, and discuss with them what interests them.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
That coexistence interests me more than any single genre.—
Alma Rota,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obsesses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obsesses. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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