1
as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest
in the 19th century Paris was the focus of the art world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in compass
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle
a wildlife conservation organization that seems to have lost its focus
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to concentrate
to fix (as one's attention) steadily toward a central objective
try to focus your attention on the task at hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of focus
Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Weinberg lauded Nadella’s focus on customers of all sizes.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2025
Leila Sloman, WIRED, 23 Mar. 2025
Tony offered a few simple words of advice: Just focus on the music.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for focus
Noun
The move comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushes for an 8% cut to the Pentagon’s budget and as the military shifts its focus away from Europe and counterterrorism missions.
—Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2025
Weinberg lauded Nadella’s focus on customers of all sizes.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
In 1972, McKay was focused on finite groups—groups that have a finite number of elements.
—Leila Sloman, WIRED, 23 Mar. 2025
Tony offered a few simple words of advice: Just focus on the music.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for focus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for focus
Noun
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Functionality of these three branches and the commensurate endurance of individual liberty center squarely on society’s universal respect for the rule of law.—
Blake D. Morant,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
-
And an unlikely mother is forced into the center of a battle between power and destiny.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Another powerful framework is to use a career compass instead of a career map.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Think of fair conduct as your organization’s compass.—
Shivali Kukreja,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Edward Lucas, the British writer who concentrates on security issues, thought this was a good idea.—
Jay Nordlinger,
National Review,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Stream Dance Spa - Santa Fe, New Mexico Stream Dance Spa at Bishop's Lodge in Santa Fe, New Mexico, offers a serene retreat that concentrates on spiritual well-being for travelers seeking tranquility, self-realization and connection.—
Martie Bowser,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
There will always be a need for people to access information, and libraries are the hubs of the community.—
J.M. Banks,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Pandora shares shed 11% Thursday, hitting its lowest level in a year, on the announcement of 37% tariffs on its main production hub, Thailand.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The pendulum, which swung far toward inclusion in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, is now swinging back in full force in the opposite direction.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Gonzalez joined the weightlifting team beginning in her junior season and excelled under the direction of coach Heidi Bowser.—
Alex Kushel,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Some people plan just a few months ahead, focusing on immediate expenses, while others think decades into the future, prioritizing long-term investments, retirement planning, and strategic capital investing.—
Shane Enete,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Southern Lebanon was the location of much of Israel's recent air and ground campaign against Hezbollah, with parts of the capital Beirut also devastated.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
More than this perhaps, as Sara Halpern, visiting assistant professor of history at St. Olaf college, wrote to me, the attack had a broader purpose.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Gemini Shuhua Xiong Mercury Retrograde Ends in Pisces on April 7: Rewrite the narrative around purpose.—
Colin Bedell,
Them.,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Since its founding in 1869, the university has turned Carbondale into a tiny cultural mecca and a powerful economic engine in an otherwise vast, rural region that has been battered by the decline of manufacturing and coal mining.—
Molly Parker,
ProPublica,
27 Mar. 2025
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Critics of the loophole point to Walt Disney as among the first to take advantage of it decades ago when developing its tourist mecca of resorts and theme parks near Orlando.—
Josh Salman,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Focus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/focus. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
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