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.
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Recent Examples of focus
Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
Our weeklong tester, the 2026 Infiniti QX60 Autograph AWD enters Grasso’s Garage focused simply on exceeding expectations.
—Marc D Grasso, Hartford Courant, 24 Jan. 2026
Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026
The focus is from Garland Avenue to the train tracks.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for focus
Verb
The president and his supporters have dismissed that approach as inefficient, overly focused on compromise and unresponsive to the needs of people contending with rapid economic change.
—Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
Our weeklong tester, the 2026 Infiniti QX60 Autograph AWD enters Grasso’s Garage focused simply on exceeding expectations.
—Marc D Grasso, Hartford Courant, 24 Jan. 2026
Noun
The chef elevates those nostalgic, Sicilian childhood classics to alchemic heights, with a heavy seafood focus courtesy of the coastal location (the southwest coast has a rich history of tonnaras—tuna farms).
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026
The focus is from Garland Avenue to the train tracks.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for focus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for focus
Verb
-
Previously, the country’s elimination status was threatened in 2019, amid large outbreaks in New York concentrated in Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn and Rockland County.—
Jamie Gumbrecht,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Wealth inequality remains a concern in France, with around half of the nation’s wealth concentrated in the hands of its richest 10%.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
About 80 warming centers were opened across the state, known as one of the nation's poorest.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
-
On the company’s earnings call, analysts asked CEO Tim Cook several questions about Apple’s access to memory components, which have seen their prices skyrocket due to demand related to chips necessary for artificial intelligence data centers.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Cancer June 21 – July 22 Your inner compass knows the way, even if your logical mind hasn’t quite laid out just yet.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Dumas sees artificial intelligence as a defining compass for the next generation.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Retail stores, bars and restaurants have been transformed into mutual aid hubs.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Sitting in the heart of northeast Minneapolis's business district, the coffee shop has become a hub for people opposing ICE.—
Reg Chapman,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For once, things appear to be moving in the right direction in the injury department.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The poll shows that 47% of Marylanders believe the state is headed in the right direction, but 44% say the state is headed in the wrong direction.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Some of Thursday’s decline was related to Wall Street not being happy with how much the company was spending on investments for the future (capital expenditures), and the cloud business Azure may not have done as well as some hoped.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
However, some oil executives have expressed discomfort with the idea of sending capital into Venezuela.—
Moriah Thomas,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In a consumer environment growing increasingly skeptical, leading with purpose and transparency builds trust and authority that will compound over time.—
Serenity Gibbons,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
In a prepared speech, Kristi Noem lied about the events, claiming Alex Pretti approached agents with a firearm, and that Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, came for the sole purpose of murder.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Lane Bryant store is now gone, the shopping center on the far west side of Tinley Park has blossomed and life in the southwest suburb now known as an entertainment mecca goes on.—
Donna Vickroy,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The Bay Area is a mecca for social dancing, from salsa to line dancing to modern ballroom, said Richard Powers, a choreographer and dance historian who teaches social dance classes at Stanford University.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Focus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/focus. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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