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.
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Recent Examples of preoccupy
Jordan Mesias, 33, meanwhile, was preoccupied with the District 1 City Council race.
—
Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
Rumspringa is an album preoccupied with thresholds.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
That's really what preoccupied all of us during Band of Brothers and similarly with Pressure.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 31 May 2026
While Cody is preoccupied with playing with toy trucks in the dirt, JJ’s dad teaches him how all the different construction vehicles work.
—Parents, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
Rumspringa is an album preoccupied with thresholds.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
That's really what preoccupied all of us during Band of Brothers and similarly with Pressure.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 31 May 2026
While Cody is preoccupied with playing with toy trucks in the dirt, JJ’s dad teaches him how all the different construction vehicles work.
—Parents, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupy
Verb
-
The actress, director, and wild-style futurist Natasha Lyonne is fascinated by technology.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
10 Dec. 2025
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Kafka’s work still fascinates readers — like Polish filmmaking legend Holland.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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What interested him was the gap between the performance of power and whatever lives underneath it.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026
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That’s a cheap and easy analogy, but that’s what interested me to want to make this show.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
We were intrigued, to say the least, along with over 300 other commenters.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
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The Condé Nast Traveler team was particularly intrigued by the film's locations, which range from New York to the Dominican Republic.—
Ruchira Sharma,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 June 2026
Verb
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The Waymo Driver, which is what the company calls the system that allows the vehicle to drive without a person behind the wheel, always follows the rules of the road, and is never tired, impaired, or distracted, according to its website.—
Jackie Charniga,
USA Today,
10 Dec. 2025
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The explosion, about 325 feet from the prison, was caused by a drone used to distract prison guards, the reports said.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Fahed Rahal said soccer occupies a unique place within Algerian culture, serving as a source of identity and connection across generations.—
J.M. Banks
June 15,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
-
Siebel Newsom, 51, has occupied a higher profile position compared to spouses of other state leaders.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupy. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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