as in interesting
to hold the attention of
a puzzle will occupy that child for hours
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Recent Examples of occupying
Cavanaugh’s allies have accused Powell’s backers of trying to buy the election, while Powell has targeted Cavanaugh over his decision to run while occupying a key Democratic seat in the state’s majority-Republican legislature.
—
Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 12 May 2026
Saigon Street Food will take up 7,558 square feet in the shopping mall, occupying two storefronts.
—Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026
Historically, the island lacked many of the competitors that can be found elsewhere in the world — and, notably, there were no woodpeckers occupying this particular feeding role.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Is there a way to prevent them from occupying the flowers?
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2026
Notable elsewhere is the Golden Globes ceremony once again staking out the second weekend in January, with the 2027 Critics Choice Awards occupying the weekend that the Globes used to happen on.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 7 May 2026
Outdoor movement is one of the clearest signs a retreat is using its setting rather than just occupying it.
—Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 May 2026
Caffeine works by occupying adenosine’s receptors so the chemical cannot bind to them.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
California must pursue any and all options to keep ICE or federal troops from occupying our state and harassing our communities, especially with racially targeted and unconstitutional tactics.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 12 May 2026
Saigon Street Food will take up 7,558 square feet in the shopping mall, occupying two storefronts.
—Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026
Historically, the island lacked many of the competitors that can be found elsewhere in the world — and, notably, there were no woodpeckers occupying this particular feeding role.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Is there a way to prevent them from occupying the flowers?
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2026
Notable elsewhere is the Golden Globes ceremony once again staking out the second weekend in January, with the 2027 Critics Choice Awards occupying the weekend that the Globes used to happen on.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 7 May 2026
Outdoor movement is one of the clearest signs a retreat is using its setting rather than just occupying it.
—Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 May 2026
Caffeine works by occupying adenosine’s receptors so the chemical cannot bind to them.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026
California must pursue any and all options to keep ICE or federal troops from occupying our state and harassing our communities, especially with racially targeted and unconstitutional tactics.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occupying
Verb
-
Cold plunging — immersing the body in water below 60 degrees Fahrenheit for short periods — is typically paired with saunas, hot tubs and other restorative treatments.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 May 2026
-
Curiously, windows and sliding doors aren’t equipped with screens (yet), which makes immersing yourself in the forest environment while indoors more challenging (and less breezy), though the unmistakable calls of the colobus monkeys ring right through the glass.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
And while the company presented more data on that drug Tuesday, showing promising first-line and combination data on daraxonrasib, scientists also showed in another session intriguing preclinical data on a completely new compound that may represent what comes after the current lineup.—
Angus Chen,
STAT,
21 Apr. 2026
-
There’s familiarity there, but there’s also intriguing talent with Thompson.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The issue of antisemitism is also roiling the Green Party, which has passed Labour in the polls, but is now facing numerous scandals involving its candidates posting antisemitic content.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
But as more flyers turn to booze to soothe their nerves, the number of aggressive incidents on planes involving passengers has crept up.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
6 May 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
-
Once on the ground visitors can enjoy Greenland’s rugged coastal landscapes, fascinating indigenous Inuit culture, and the opportunity to experience the country at its primordial best.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The song vamps where Railings used to weave and wind, its ever-busying rhythm section building tension atop its harmonic simplicity.—
Craig Heed,
Pitchfork,
29 Jan. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
This marked the first appearance of an embodied AI robot at a Met Gala pre-event, attracting significant attention from media, designers, and bystanders.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
6 May 2026
-
The gathering draws both local worshippers and members of the diaspora returning to their ancestral roots and has long been seen as a symbol of coexistence, attracting Muslim visitors alongside Jewish pilgrims.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Occupying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occupying. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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