as in interested
to hold the attention of
the video game busied the child for hours
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Recent Examples of busied
Another busied himself writing and rewriting the mundane information on his slate.
—
Taran Khan, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
Emma shook her head and busied herself with picking up her waders.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
The department has also busied itself in Minneapolis with prosecuting residents opposed to what federal officials are doing in their city and immigrants trying to flee their pursuers, a tactic seen in other cities targeted for immigration enforcement.
—Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
For the first 12 minutes, the Celtics busied themselves by snapping up free points.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Eventually, though, after the Falcons recovered an onside kick successfully and knelt the rest of the way en route to a 19-17 victory, the family busied themselves jumping up and down, screaming for joy.
—Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 5 Jan. 2026
So, after the sombrero drew hearty guffaws, my friend Jim busied himself finding monuments to chip-and-dip tastelessness.
—Lee Michael Katz, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
After that, Cornell busied himself with his solo career and other endeavors before committing suicide in 2017.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Russia has for years busied itself with reopening its Soviet-era military bases in the Arctic, and with constructing new facilities across the region.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Taran Khan, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
Emma shook her head and busied herself with picking up her waders.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
The department has also busied itself in Minneapolis with prosecuting residents opposed to what federal officials are doing in their city and immigrants trying to flee their pursuers, a tactic seen in other cities targeted for immigration enforcement.
—Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
For the first 12 minutes, the Celtics busied themselves by snapping up free points.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Eventually, though, after the Falcons recovered an onside kick successfully and knelt the rest of the way en route to a 19-17 victory, the family busied themselves jumping up and down, screaming for joy.
—Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 5 Jan. 2026
So, after the sombrero drew hearty guffaws, my friend Jim busied himself finding monuments to chip-and-dip tastelessness.
—Lee Michael Katz, USA Today, 20 Dec. 2025
After that, Cornell busied himself with his solo career and other endeavors before committing suicide in 2017.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Russia has for years busied itself with reopening its Soviet-era military bases in the Arctic, and with constructing new facilities across the region.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for busied
Verb
-
That’s what interested us as well.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
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These stories are not only fun to read, but also provide valuable information about ideas that interested early Christians.—
Christy Cobb,
The Conversation,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Even the sixth-generation ryokans that have occupied this neighborhood for centuries don’t have this bird’s eye view.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Apr. 2026
-
If slightly adult-leaning movies once occupied the center of the multiplex, that territory now belongs to the PG movie.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Especially for someone whose entire adult life has been immersed in the adrenaline-infusion of coaching — from its exhilarating highs and anguishing lows to simply always being in the middle of so much.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Netanyahu, a child psychologist who works three times a week at the Jerusalem municipality, has immersed herself in the issue.—
Amelie Botbol,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
He’s currently projected as a second-rounder, but NBA scouts are intrigued by his defensive ability and versatility.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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And then there were fans intrigued by the league’s potential holiday play, particularly the idea of a Thanksgiving Eve spotlight.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Community members, businesses, groups, schools, teams and more are encouraged to get involved in the biggest cleanup of the year.—
CBS LA Staff,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
And the Supreme Court declined to get involved.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The vice president added that he has long been fascinated by the subject and hinted at his interest in reviewing classified information during his time in office.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
-
For decades, the Zeigler case has fascinated the public around the world, leading to television shows, books, documentaries and a variety of crime sleuths creating various conspiracy theories.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Busied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/busied. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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