as in to concentrate
to fix (as one's attention) steadily toward a central objective
try to focus your attention on the task at hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest
in the 19th century Paris was the focus of the art world
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in compass
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle
a wildlife conservation organization that seems to have lost its focus
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 focus
Terry Collins, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
Looking ahead, Backpacks for Kids is focused on building long-term sustainability in order to reliably serve more families each week.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Kraus said his focus on City Council would be on creating a secure, sustainable community where his own grandchildren could thrive by balancing proactive law enforcement with community support.
—Nathan Pilling
march 29, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for focus
Verb
Despite economic hardships, some Americans are also focused on the well-being of service members and their families.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
Looking ahead, Backpacks for Kids is focused on building long-term sustainability in order to reliably serve more families each week.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
But the focus was clearly on Fontenot, the defending state champion who got off to an incredibly late start on his season.
—Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Kraus said his focus on City Council would be on creating a secure, sustainable community where his own grandchildren could thrive by balancing proactive law enforcement with community support.
—Nathan Pilling
march 29, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for focus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for focus
Verb
-
Why Hibernating Turtles Are More Like Sitting Ducks Every winter, most of the lake’s Northern map turtles concentrate in shallow-water clusters around one island in the middle of Opinicon Lake.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2026
-
These nanoframes, which are nanoscale metal structures with hollow, frame-like geometries, are of significant interest because of their unique ability to concentrate and manipulate light at very small scales.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Slovenian center set the team's career scoring record last month.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Flash forward to the present, however, and the data centers that are popping up everywhere are amid the AI boom are most decidedly not being built in the ocean.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Friends of Rubio say his stance and the underlying goal of a free Cuba has never wavered and continue to serve as his personal and political compass.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
When thoughts race, breathe slowly and trust your inner compass to organize your feelings before responding.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Diridon Station is now a hub for VTA’s buses and light-rail trains, Caltrain and Amtrak — and one day it may be announced as a stop for BART and high-speed rail.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Smoke could be seen rising from the direction of a major UAE energy installation on March 14, in what appeared to be the latest strike targeting the Gulf’s petroleum facilities hours after the US struck Iran’s Kharg Island.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
-
While the morning invites a slower pace and simple pleasures, the Moon opposing chatty Mercury later can pull feelings and words in different directions.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
After the war started, Rebin said that bombs would not deter him from driving to the capital once more to search for his son.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The city manager in Raleigh, the capital and second-largest city in the state, made $323,978, according to the Raleigh News & Observer’s slightly older salary database, which is from 2024.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The robotic characters break free from their restaurant resting place to cause chaos in town, while the villainous Marionette pops up to possess victims for her own nefarious purposes.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Trump has not only stolen top-secret government files, apparently for business purposes but used his office to harass and investigate his political targets.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The tech mecca has slowly begun to emerge from one of the country’s deepest declines in downtown retail, in part through a program that peppered the city with subsidized pop-up shops.—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Each January, that stillness is interrupted by the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting, transforming a quiet alpine town, Davos, into a mecca of power.—
Victoria Bousis,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Focus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/focus. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
