as in to interest
to hold the attention of
a puzzle will occupy that child for hours
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of occupy
The team has not decided which spot in the rotation Ohtani will occupy, nor the target number of innings for his first start.
—
Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026
The former Islands Restaurant site that Encinitas Brewing Company is proposing to occupy includes a 5,500-square-foot building as well as outdoor dining space.
—Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Yet today, seven months later and almost a year after posting the units to Housing Connect, only 168 are occupied.
—Alicia Glen, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
The towns of Monterey, McDowell, and Blue Grass are tucked into west-central Virginia and serve as hubs for the festival’s entertainment and vendors, keeping folks fed and occupied.
—Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for occupy
Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026
The former Islands Restaurant site that Encinitas Brewing Company is proposing to occupy includes a 5,500-square-foot building as well as outdoor dining space.
—Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Yet today, seven months later and almost a year after posting the units to Housing Connect, only 168 are occupied.
—Alicia Glen, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
The towns of Monterey, McDowell, and Blue Grass are tucked into west-central Virginia and serve as hubs for the festival’s entertainment and vendors, keeping folks fed and occupied.
—Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for occupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occupy
Verb
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Celebrity doesn’t interest Vernon Hills junior Yury Plaksin.—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Tyner says the challenge is to provide activities that interest younger golfers while respecting the sentiments of longtime members.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The exercise involved forces from 74 nations, including the United States.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Most involve drilling holes into the stump, filling them with the chemical, and then waiting.—
Daniel Scott,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There’s familiarity there, but there’s also intriguing talent with Thompson.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
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As the Seattle Seahawks have two starting cornerbacks as free agents, could the Miami native Josh Jobe intrigue the Dolphins?—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Once immersed in clinical practice, her attention centered on cosmetic dentistry and orthodontics, where precision meets emotion and subtle changes can influence confidence and self-perception.—
Sixteen Ramos,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
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These culinary walking tours, which mostly run around 2½ hours, are an amazing way to immerse yourself into the storied, ever-changing and diverse food scene in Las Vegas.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Emma shook her head and busied herself with picking up her waders.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
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While the former tracks profits and expectations, the latter busies itself with tangible stuff, from jobs and wages to GDP.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Spielberg has been fascinated by the UFO topic his whole career, with his 1977 classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind still considered by many to be the most compelling dramatization of the subject.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Mar. 2026
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Shawn, too, is wracked and fascinated by the human ability to smile and smile and be a villain.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Irish unit, which Generali inherited through its purchase of Liberty Seguros, specializes in online operations and attracted interest from several buyers.—
Sonia Sirletti,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Your optimism attracts helpful allies.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Push back to your starting position, keeping your core engaged and avoiding any sagging in the hips.—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer,
Health,
5 Mar. 2026
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One way to enhance protection for many apps and services is to engage MFA (multi-factor authentication).—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Occupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occupy. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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