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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of preoccupy
Currently, both Chinese leaders and Trump’s team are preoccupied by domestic matters more than foreign ones.
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Yan Xuetong, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2024
And there is perhaps nothing that preoccupies their imaginations more than the logistics of a visit from Santa.
—Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Speed Things Up The rest of the world may be preoccupied with efficiency and instant gratification, but there are certain things that those of us in this region will never rush—from cooking our greens low and slow to saying our goodbyes.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2024
Adults—especially millennials and Gen Z, are preoccupied with wellness, disillusioned with healthcare, and willing to splurge on trips and upgrades.
—Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preoccupy 
Yan Xuetong, Foreign Affairs, 20 Dec. 2024
And there is perhaps nothing that preoccupies their imaginations more than the logistics of a visit from Santa.
—Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Speed Things Up The rest of the world may be preoccupied with efficiency and instant gratification, but there are certain things that those of us in this region will never rush—from cooking our greens low and slow to saying our goodbyes.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2024
Adults—especially millennials and Gen Z, are preoccupied with wellness, disillusioned with healthcare, and willing to splurge on trips and upgrades.
—Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preoccupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupy
Verb
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Fishing for Microbes For years, Irene Salinas has been fascinated by a simple physiological fact: The distance between the nose and the brain is quite small.Yasemin Saplakoglu, WIRED, 5 Jan. 2025
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Rosenberg, who had been fascinated by Zygielbojm’s story for years, agreed.Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
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As Shutdown Nears More Of North Korea’s Giant Howitzers Roll Into Russia Know who interests you Your target audience should fascinate you.Jodie Cook, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
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So movement scores, other types of experimental script writing, different types of notational systems really interest me.Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
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He also was intrigued about returning to play in his birthplace.Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2025
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The internet has been left baffled but intrigued by a woman who showed off her totally unique hobby.Rachael O'Connor, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In the early 1800s, as Manhattan’s streets were being laid out, a number of the planners were distracted by a different job: connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.The Upshot Staff, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
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While performing in Melbourne, Australia as part of the band's Music of the Spheres World Tour in November, Martin seemingly got distracted by a group of screaming fans and stepped backwards into an open trapdoor.Lori A Bashian Fox News, Fox News, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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During the week of its premiere the bottom spot on Nielsen’s streaming originals list was occupied by The Great British Baking Show, which was viewed for 382 million minutes meaning that Skeleton Crew came to less than that.Caroline Reid, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025
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Today, grizzly bears occupy only 4% of their former range, which included much of the Rocky Mountain Region, extended up into western and central Canada and northern Mexico, according to environmental nonprofit WildEarth Guardians.Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near preoccupy
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupy. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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