as in interesting
to hold the attention of
a puzzle will occupy that child for hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of occupying
Inside, authorities found fresh groceries, animals, and other signs that people are actively occupying some of the units.
—
Nina Burns, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
In this next example, from the 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace last month, Smith Rowe and Samuel Chukwueze are occupying the visitors’ wide centre-backs while Timothy Castagne and Kenny Tete are pinning the wing-backs, allowing Wilson and Jimenez to overload Maxence Lacroix in the middle.
—Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The rooms are generously sized, with the humblest Ocean Suite still occupying nearly 700 square feet and the most generous of the Presidential Suites (one of which the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stayed in at the conclusion of their 2022 Caribbean tour) claiming more than 3,000.
—Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
In her video, King also showed that the person seated in front of her had a window, but the person occupying it had closed the shade.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
In August, one of their practices was delayed due to UTA’s sports teams occupying the practice court and a graduation ceremony on campus.
—Myah Taylor, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
Ditto the echoes of The Civil War, also examining a battle that pit brother against brother, and The Vietnam War, in which America became the occupying imperial force failing to understand or successfully combat a domestic insurgence.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
Currently, there are no other films occupying that date.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
Many Chicagoans and residents of the surrounding areas view federal agents already deployed to the city as an occupying force.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Nina Burns, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
In this next example, from the 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace last month, Smith Rowe and Samuel Chukwueze are occupying the visitors’ wide centre-backs while Timothy Castagne and Kenny Tete are pinning the wing-backs, allowing Wilson and Jimenez to overload Maxence Lacroix in the middle.
—Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The rooms are generously sized, with the humblest Ocean Suite still occupying nearly 700 square feet and the most generous of the Presidential Suites (one of which the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stayed in at the conclusion of their 2022 Caribbean tour) claiming more than 3,000.
—Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Jan. 2026
In her video, King also showed that the person seated in front of her had a window, but the person occupying it had closed the shade.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
In August, one of their practices was delayed due to UTA’s sports teams occupying the practice court and a graduation ceremony on campus.
—Myah Taylor, Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
Ditto the echoes of The Civil War, also examining a battle that pit brother against brother, and The Vietnam War, in which America became the occupying imperial force failing to understand or successfully combat a domestic insurgence.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
Currently, there are no other films occupying that date.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
Many Chicagoans and residents of the surrounding areas view federal agents already deployed to the city as an occupying force.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occupying
Verb
-
That sense of place goes a long way in immersing you into J1’s world, whether the tone is deadly serious or lightly comical.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Narratively and conceptually, the content will maintain Plimsoll’s natural history focus, immersing audiences in 2D and 3D environments via advanced technology.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Our guide to the best upcoming sci-fi movies in 2026 features a blockbuster mix of popular franchises, intriguing one-offs, and one of the greatest directors of all time heading back to alien visitation territory.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
31 Dec. 2025
-
New York has intriguing young outfielders in Jasson Domínguez and Spencer jones, but Bellinger was the team's second best player in the lineup this season.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Kiefer Sutherland accused of assaulting top fashion designer Two years after his DUI arrest, Sutherland was dealt misdemeanor charges over an alleged altercation involving Proenza Schouler designer Jack McCollough.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
15 Jan. 2026
-
That meant the crash wasn't caused by a fatal design flaw even though there had already been a number of accidents involving DC-10s.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Wilentz, author of the 2010 book Dylan in America, wrote Volume 18‘s detailed, often fascinating 125-page liner notes that provides historical context for the expansive eight-CD set.—
Glenn Peoples,
Billboard,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Had Steve Smith been fit and available to play, then the 31-year-old would have been patrolling another part of the field; maybe busying himself in the covers, or chirping away from under a lid at short leg.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
21 Dec. 2025
-
Much like her idol Marlene Dietrich, Novak walked away from the business under her own steam, and has largely kept to herself, marrying an equine veterinarian and busying herself raising horses and painting.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The company has also been attracting lots of customers to its Google Cloud, in part because of the power of its bespoke AI chips, called tensor processing units (or TPUs), which may offer cost and speed advantages over Nvidia’s graphics processing units (GPUs) for running AI models.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
14 Jan. 2026
-
As Sri Lanka heads to the Source Fashion Exhibition in the UK from January 13 to 15—one of the country’s top sourcing platforms, attracting over 1,000 retailers and buyers—the mood is upbeat.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Occupying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occupying. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
