as in to fascinate
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
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 preoccupy
City appear to have optimised this trade-off, knowing when to punish defences preoccupied with box-defending by striking from distance.
—
Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
In the seconds before the shooting, the officer in the black beanie is turned away from Pretti, preoccupied with another protester.
—Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
His obituaries were preoccupied with the fact that some of his works were very long.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
When boomers were growing up, society was preoccupied with food security and having a roof over their heads, says Amy DeBlase, LMHC, LPC, PMH-C, clinical director and supervisor at Let's Talk Psychological Wellness.
—Holly Garcia, Parents, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2026
In the seconds before the shooting, the officer in the black beanie is turned away from Pretti, preoccupied with another protester.
—Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
His obituaries were preoccupied with the fact that some of his works were very long.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
When boomers were growing up, society was preoccupied with food security and having a roof over their heads, says Amy DeBlase, LMHC, LPC, PMH-C, clinical director and supervisor at Let's Talk Psychological Wellness.
—Holly Garcia, Parents, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupy
Verb
-
Spielberg has been fascinated by the UFO topic his whole career, with his 1977 classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind still considered by many to be the most compelling dramatization of the subject.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Shawn, too, is wracked and fascinated by the human ability to smile and smile and be a villain.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Celebrity doesn’t interest Vernon Hills junior Yury Plaksin.—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Tyner says the challenge is to provide activities that interest younger golfers while respecting the sentiments of longtime members.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There’s familiarity there, but there’s also intriguing talent with Thompson.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
-
As the Seattle Seahawks have two starting cornerbacks as free agents, could the Miami native Josh Jobe intrigue the Dolphins?—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Here are Christian and Rick potentially alerting the game in a way never seen before in 50 seasons, and Devens is half-distracted the entire time dealing with a pesky Windsor knot.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The smooth black leather and wood-look rubber soles are perfect for elevating your office attire without distracting from the rest of your outfit.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Music is the focal point of each service, with Jeffrey playing guitar and keyboards behind the curtain, singing in a wavering voice reminiscent of Jeff Mangum about the subjects, ideas and feelings that have occupied his mind at various stages of his life.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
And typically, Wegmann added, those units are occupied by productive, working adults, not layabouts or career criminals leeching off the system, as the old narrative goes.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupy. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
