as in interesting
to hold the attention of
a puzzle will occupy that child for hours
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Recent Examples of occupying
Thorson is a native of Melbourne, Australia, which will allow the Vikings to keep him without occupying a roster spot.
—
Alec Lewis, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Despite the truce, both sides continue to strike each other, and Israeli forces have been occupying a buffer zone in Lebanon, demolishing some neighborhoods.
—Samy Magdy, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
For the workers, occupying a tenuous legal status can be worth it to be able to support their families, send their children to stronger schools and earn wages on a different scale than in their home countries.
—Theia Chatelle, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
Kozak said workers slept on floors and desks, with Russian soldiers occupying key areas.
—Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Illiana Christian’s Nick DeBlock is occupying a different headspace this season.
—Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Kozak said workers slept on floors and desks, with Russian soldiers occupying key areas.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
For years, Netflix has been the anchor tenant at Sunset Studios, making the ICON building its Los Angeles headquarters and occupying the EPIC and CUE buildings as part of the complex on Sunset Boulevard.
—Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Bill insisted on occupying the front passenger seat of the van due to severe motion sickness.
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
Alec Lewis, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
Despite the truce, both sides continue to strike each other, and Israeli forces have been occupying a buffer zone in Lebanon, demolishing some neighborhoods.
—Samy Magdy, Fortune, 27 Apr. 2026
For the workers, occupying a tenuous legal status can be worth it to be able to support their families, send their children to stronger schools and earn wages on a different scale than in their home countries.
—Theia Chatelle, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
Kozak said workers slept on floors and desks, with Russian soldiers occupying key areas.
—Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Illiana Christian’s Nick DeBlock is occupying a different headspace this season.
—Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Kozak said workers slept on floors and desks, with Russian soldiers occupying key areas.
—ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
For years, Netflix has been the anchor tenant at Sunset Studios, making the ICON building its Los Angeles headquarters and occupying the EPIC and CUE buildings as part of the complex on Sunset Boulevard.
—Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Bill insisted on occupying the front passenger seat of the van due to severe motion sickness.
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 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 10 May. 2026.
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