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

What fascinates me most isn't simply whether Wagner can squeeze 621 miles out of this massive battery.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Gauna has filmed hundreds, maybe thousands of great white sharks across Southern California, and still their every movement, every action, fascinates him.

— Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of fascinates

Verb

The novel that will form the basis of Reacher’s now-in-production fifth season, 2015’s Make Me, finds Reacher visiting a midwestern hamlet called Mother’s Rest because the town’s name intrigues him.

— Chris Klimek, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
As McQueen is about to call the police something in her raw honesty, her boldness, intrigues him.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of intrigues

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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 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of preoccupies

verb

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