preoccupy

verb

Definition of preoccupynext
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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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 Increasingly, his mind was preoccupied with extremist views and conspiracy theories, including secret government cabals and false-flag operations. — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026 Armand is not preoccupied by the archaic Great Laws as the season had lead us to believe. — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026 As the genre’s name suggests, country music tends to be preoccupied with place; the charts are full of tributes to the satisfaction of being firmly rooted in a small town, and the sorrows of leaving it behind. — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 19 July 2026 The musician will be preoccupied with the Distracted AF tour, which will visit a number of American and Canadian cities from October through December. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupy
  1. fascinate
  2. interest
  3. intrigue
  4. distract
  5. occupy
Verb
  • The 31-year-old rapper, a member of the megagroup NCT and the leader of its subgroup NCT 127, has seemingly always been fascinated by merging different genres to create a new song.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Questions around beauty and longing recur, as do keywords (such as ‘password’), names, references and scenic features, but what fascinated me most is that in principle each episode could be read as a little patchy universe on its own.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of fascinate
Verb
  • As Houthi threats to the Bab el Mandeb Strait increase, so, too, may interest in developing pipeline capacity through the Red Sea.
    — Jason Bordoff, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Short trips and conversations with daily contacts, siblings and relatives will interest you.
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of interest
Verb
  • Cabrera’s raw talent intrigued Jed Hoyer’s front office for years.
    — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The female forward is in front of the camera, behind the camera, really getting women, intriguing them to come to the service and watch.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of intrigue
Verb
  • Investigators say a tire was placed in the road in a plot to distract and kill Jared Bridegan, 33, in Jacksonville Beach in 2022.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Kiser’s husband, Brady Kiser, said he had been briefly distracted while watching Trigg while his wife was away.
    — Shayna Jacobs, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of distract
Verb
  • The craft were shot down over 16 Russian regions, occupied Crimea, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The primary bedroom and bathroom occupies the top level as copious loft over the living room.
    — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of occupy

Browse Nearby Words

preoccupies
preoccupy
preoccupying
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Cite this Entry

“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupy. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on preoccupy

Nglish: Translation of preoccupy for Spanish Speakers

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