as in fascinates
to be thought about or worried about by (someone) very often or constantly
The question of life after death has preoccupied many philosophers.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupies
Verb
-
Is there one that particularly fascinates you?—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
10 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
At the very least, the prospect of doing more with younger Ed and Lorraine intrigues the performers.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
There’s something about childhood and adolescence — and the wounds that form during those years, which in some way stay with us for life — that really intrigues me.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Scroll to any Week 1 college football game that interests you and click to view the popular options.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Aug. 2025
-
This is part of what interests me.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
But Democratic leaders said the plan distracts from more urgent legislative priorities and is unlikely to move forward.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
In the New York Times, Schmidt—yes that same guy who was talking up AGI in April—urged Silicon Valley to stop fixating on superhuman AI, warning that the obsession distracts from building useful technology.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
25 Aug. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupies. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share