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
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Recent Examples of preoccupy
Assign a dedicated water watcher who is not preoccupied by a phone or conversation.
—
Anna Nguyen, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2025
Didion was concerned about Quintana and her struggles with depression and alcoholism, but she was preoccupied, too, with aging, with creative fulfillment, with the complex dynamics of their family.
—Joan Didion, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
Although the account sometimes shares actual news, it’s frequently preoccupied by rapid-response engagement bait for MAGA diehards.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2025
The reason, we were told, was that teachers didn’t want us to be preoccupied with vanity.
—Charlotte Mensah, Essence, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Anna Nguyen, Sun Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2025
Didion was concerned about Quintana and her struggles with depression and alcoholism, but she was preoccupied, too, with aging, with creative fulfillment, with the complex dynamics of their family.
—Joan Didion, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
Although the account sometimes shares actual news, it’s frequently preoccupied by rapid-response engagement bait for MAGA diehards.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2025
The reason, we were told, was that teachers didn’t want us to be preoccupied with vanity.
—Charlotte Mensah, Essence, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupy
Verb
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Rather than being terrified or trying to kill her, Ravi is fascinated by her unusual condition.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2025
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Laura is particularly fascinated by all things aquatic, paleontology, nanotechnology, and exploring how science influences daily life.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Employees can engage with opportunities that interest them, trying out new roles through short-term assignments before committing to a full career change.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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What interests me about associating Wilfried Zaha and Lewis Dunk with these fixtures is proof that both clubs continue to grow.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Traditional hiring relies on candidates applying to your company, but elite talent needs to be sought out, engaged and intrigued by a unique opportunity.—
Sarah D'Souza,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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TikTok users have been excited and intrigued by these pitches — seeing them as attempts to not only spit on Trump’s plan but expose fashion surcharges and save money on luxury goods.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Too often, however, the temptation to blame individuals or groups for housing ills distracts from the actual debate and prevents all stakeholders from discovering their mutual interests.—
Matt Frazier,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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The scientists now plan on developing the technology further, which will include boosting its ability to filter out distracting background noises such as those produced by body movements.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That proposal would see Moscow de facto control parts of the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk regions that Russia occupies but does not fully control.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
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Amad’s second goal of the game comes from one such situation, with Antony occupying Taylor Harwood-Bellis.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupy. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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