PREOCCUPIES Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

preoccupies

verb

present tense third-person singular of preoccupy

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.

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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 preoccupies In other versions, the demon preoccupies himself with people who’ve fallen asleep in church, carefully noting down every snore. — JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupies

Verb

Yet, what fascinates is that Aristotle’s God isn’t a typical divine being who summons and shepherds.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
Meanwhile, what fascinates aspiring neurologist Makenzie Stovall is the idea that AI is trying to emulate the brain — an organ whose inner workings continue to leave researchers dumbfounded.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of fascinates

Verb

With your sisters Kim and Kylie breaking into the acting world over the last couple of years, with American Horror Story, All’s Fair and The Moment, is acting something that still interests you?

— Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
There’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting to talk about what interests him, in the right context.

— R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of interests

Verb

There’s the studio version, which has some really interesting production, with Meg’s shuddering percussion that eventually grates and distracts, and Jack’s very chunky guitar.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
Outer Banks’ success has always rested on an emotional depth that distracts from nonsense plot points and over-the-top escapades.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of distracts

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preoccupied

preoccupies

preoccupy

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“Preoccupies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupies. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of preoccupies

verb

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