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
Don’t preoccupy yourself too much with the plot; just enjoy the deadpan humor, excellent visual gags (like the Tim Hortons sign in Farsi), and surreal images (like the turkey dealer with large studio headshots of turkeys on the wall).
—
Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 21 July 2025
As Lauren Michele Jackson points out in her review of A Physical Education for The New Yorker, the idea that focusing on strength frees you from being preoccupied with looks is naive.
—Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 3 July 2025
Setting boundaries can be uncomfortable, especially when we are preoccupied with managing other people’s feelings.
—Essence, 26 June 2025
However, this might be tough if you’re preoccupied with work.
—Liz Simmons, StyleCaster, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 21 July 2025
As Lauren Michele Jackson points out in her review of A Physical Education for The New Yorker, the idea that focusing on strength frees you from being preoccupied with looks is naive.
—Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 3 July 2025
Setting boundaries can be uncomfortable, especially when we are preoccupied with managing other people’s feelings.
—Essence, 26 June 2025
However, this might be tough if you’re preoccupied with work.
—Liz Simmons, StyleCaster, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupy
Verb
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Growing up in the tiny town of Kingston, Minnesota, population less than 200, Tanner had always been fascinated by extreme weather.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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The president is known to be fascinated with the sport, having attended three UFC events since his election in November.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The part of the celebrations that most interests my home entertainment channel, though, is the launch on October 7 of the film’s new 4K Blu-ray edition.—
John Archer,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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If baseball doesn't interest you, the WNBA has a standalone game with the Minnesota Lynx visiting the Las Vegas Aces.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
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You may be intrigued by its shape, its colorful lights at night or its antique-looking architecture.—
Shelby Slade,
AZCentral.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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Her friend Lindsay Perrin, a photographer and mom of two, was intrigued.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Listen for the signs Notifications, newsfeeds and WhatsApp groups are distracting you from making a difference with your work.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Meanwhile, the Carter administration was distracted by other global events: the Panama Canal crisis, the SALT II negotiations with Moscow, the Israeli-Egyptian peace talks.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In the meantime, the Giants went with their Opening Day second baseman, Tyler Fitzgerald, while Christian Koss occupied third base on the second day of Matt Chapman’s absence with inflammation in his right hand.—
Evan Webeck,
Mercury News,
16 Aug. 2025
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The eight inaugural Chicago-area Jack in the Boxes are all corporate owned and occupy former Arby’s restaurants acquired in one fell swoop from a large franchise operator to get the brand reestablished quickly in the market, Ingram said.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupy. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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