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
Johnson announced the news late Friday as many Chicagoans were preoccupied with the impending federal incursion or already logged off for the week.
—
Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
With Russia preoccupied in Ukraine, and Iran with Israel, Maduro is left to fend for himself.
—Kristina Foltz, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
The rental industry has spent the last decade being preoccupied with efficiency.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
The speaker, preoccupied with what others think and barely able to see past the image of his face, hears only his own voice.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
With Russia preoccupied in Ukraine, and Iran with Israel, Maduro is left to fend for himself.
—Kristina Foltz, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
The rental industry has spent the last decade being preoccupied with efficiency.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
The speaker, preoccupied with what others think and barely able to see past the image of his face, hears only his own voice.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupy
Verb
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Molina, who is fascinated by silver screen legend Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), distracts himself and Valentín with a recounting of his favorite film of hers — The Kiss of the Spider Woman.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
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That kind of content always fascinated me, both sides of it, actually, the victimology and the perpetrator’s perspective.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Chances are, there’s a book on a topic that interests you.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 2025
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If casting a line doesn’t interest you, check out baking and walking trails, go snorkeling, do some bird watching, or simply soak in the sun.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Hanna When Kirsten Becken first reached out to me about joining the Femxphotographers collective, I was both flattered and intrigued.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
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And for users particularly intrigued by their own data, there's even the potential to use AI to cross data streams from different platforms and perhaps understand even more about how their music choices impact their lives and tastes more broadly.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But one way to distract and soothe your temperamental toddler might be through music.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
12 Sep. 2025
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Molina, who is fascinated by silver screen legend Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), distracts himself and Valentín with a recounting of his favorite film of hers — The Kiss of the Spider Woman.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Elsewhere, groups briefly occupied public buildings.—
Saskya Vandoorne,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
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Addresses that shuttered last year are already occupied with new tenants, the turnkey transition opening new doors for diners.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupy. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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