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
People are preoccupied with everyday work stress, day-to-day sadness, and the like.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
The Chinese leadership has put stabilizing the housing market on its agenda, but analysts say that the central government – preoccupied by pushing tech advances – is not interested in seeing the sector return to its former prominence as an economic driver.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
Naturally, Elsa frets over the situation, but their parents, preoccupied with their own divorced lives, reckon otherwise.
—Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
And for a market often preoccupied with price, that shift may prove its most enduring investment.
—Andrew S. Jacobson, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
The Chinese leadership has put stabilizing the housing market on its agenda, but analysts say that the central government – preoccupied by pushing tech advances – is not interested in seeing the sector return to its former prominence as an economic driver.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
Naturally, Elsa frets over the situation, but their parents, preoccupied with their own divorced lives, reckon otherwise.
—Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
And for a market often preoccupied with price, that shift may prove its most enduring investment.
—Andrew S. Jacobson, Baltimore Sun, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupy
Verb
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The combined disgust, discomfort, ignorance, and fascination with our Indigeneity that unsettled my aunties and fascinated my cousins made more sense to me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
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While the remote learning time during the COVID pandemic was challenging for many students, Ashlyn Duran used it to learn more about a subject that fascinated her.—
Amy Stark Shireman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
Verb
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What seems to interest Yamashita most is the awful experience of guessing how to answer the questions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
-
Some plants don’t interest them as much, especially plants with hairy or fuzzy leaves or that are strongly scented.—
Rita Pelczar,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 May 2026
Verb
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You’re intrigued by human behavior.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
1 June 2026
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Simmons was intrigued enough to indulge the possibility.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The opening salvo of the assault is intended to distract the Russians and permit four other robots to get behind enemy lines.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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Meanwhile, Johnson insisted to reporters in Chicago that his international excursion will not distract him from the pressing issues back home, including the final week of Springfield’s legislative session.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Verb
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While occupying the catwalk, contestants were allowed three ten-minute breaks and a twenty-minute shower each day.—
Jonathan Odden,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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The hotel occupies 12 floors of a 42-story tower, offering 277 guest rooms and suites along with 15,000 square feet of event space.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupy. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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