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
The debates currently tend to be preoccupied with the loss of white-collar jobs due to the attainment of AGI.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
So would the gratitude that comes to preoccupy Serk.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 3 June 2025
Stage eight was an opportunity for the breakaway, sandwiched between two days set to preoccupy the GC contenders, and Plapp read the race conditions perfectly.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Jonathan Tucker’s Tim Weiner is one of the crew preoccupied with the Lisbons.
—Sezin Devi Koehler, EW.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
So would the gratitude that comes to preoccupy Serk.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 3 June 2025
Stage eight was an opportunity for the breakaway, sandwiched between two days set to preoccupy the GC contenders, and Plapp read the race conditions perfectly.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Jonathan Tucker’s Tim Weiner is one of the crew preoccupied with the Lisbons.
—Sezin Devi Koehler, EW.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupy
Verb
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The writer was fascinated with sharks after spotting them during childhood fishing trips with his father on Nantucket.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
20 June 2025
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That stuff about the Gunn Mummy fascinates me though.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
18 June 2025
Verb
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If possible, talk to your boss about your future and what interests you.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
26 June 2025
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The Flames also have a lot of players who would interest the Sabres, who need a right-shot defenseman.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Verb
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Hall also got into bits and pieces of 19 games with the Nuggets, totaling just 114 minutes, but his G League sample is the part that intrigues.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
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What intrigued you about those existential questions at play here?—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
Verb
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While the housing bill got lost among numerous priorities during this year’s legislative session, top leaders are now laser-focused on the issue and will not be distracted.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
30 June 2025
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The president’s critics, meanwhile, accuse him of using the scandal to distract from stalled reforms and growing public dissatisfaction.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 June 2025
Verb
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These words, which fill a popular meme set against the profile of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., occupy our thoughts.—
Michael Pfleger,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2025
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The top eight prize money spots are occupied by European clubs and of the $741m allocated, $424.5m (57 per cent) has gone to UEFA clubs.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupy. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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