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
For most investors — understandably preoccupied with energy markets, AI earnings, and Fed succession — the midterm elections probably feel like a distant consideration.
—
Jason Kirsch,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
And Buffy is enrolled in Sunnydale’s local college, preoccupied with a hot new (human) boyfriend and her brilliant psychology professor.
—
ArsTechnica,
7 June 2026
Since the 2024 race, I’ve been preoccupied by the idea of what makes a successful politician in this world.
—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Jordan Mesias, 33, meanwhile, was preoccupied with the District 1 City Council race.
—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Jason Kirsch,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
And Buffy is enrolled in Sunnydale’s local college, preoccupied with a hot new (human) boyfriend and her brilliant psychology professor.
—
ArsTechnica,
7 June 2026
Since the 2024 race, I’ve been preoccupied by the idea of what makes a successful politician in this world.
—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
Jordan Mesias, 33, meanwhile, was preoccupied with the District 1 City Council race.
—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupy
Verb
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Like countless others, I was fascinated by the intersection of medicine, epidemiology, and emerging pathogens that the book portrayed.
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Hornets have ‘totally reshaped that frontcourt’ Kevin O’Connor, Yahoo sports podcaster and writer, is fascinated by the trade on both sides.
Verb
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These are novels about bohemian communities of friends and lovers and artistic collaborators, which is a big part of what interests me about AIDS activism.
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What interests me more is what has changed, which is the very substance of capital.
Verb
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That journey validated why Coward became intrigued with joining an independent sports agency.
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But Kaplan also was intrigued by other labs’ findings that mast cells could fend off a common type of skin bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus.
Verb
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Efforts to organize and tidy often turned into sitting on the floor surrounded by piles of stuff and getting easily distracted with sentimental finds.
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But that was a bit ago, and there is a theory now that perhaps this is starting to leak, or maybe be confirmed soon, to distract from the recent, very poor performance of Supergirl in theaters.
Verb
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The cabana frame was lifted by strong winds before crashing into an area occupied by guests near the resort's pool deck.
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Law enforcement also linked Sanchez-Munoz to a June 11 shooting in which a vehicle occupied by an adult and a child was hit by gunfire in the area of Seventh Street and Metropolitan Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas.
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupy. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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