as in staring
to look at or think about something constantly; to give all of your attention to something
—usually + on or upon
The cat was fixated on a small hole in the wall. Why do journalists fixate on scandals?
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Recent Examples of fixating
Rather than fixating on what was lost or what could come next, Park made a conscious decision to focus on what was in front of her.
—
Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 11 May 2026
But Adams had a habit of fixating on his mistakes.
—New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
Perhaps, then, fixating on the ground rules, like Nelson did, isn’t the right approach.
—Quanta Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
Worrying about chip speed is like fixating on a car’s horsepower; most people will never even come close to needing maximum power or speed.
—Larry Magid, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Hormendy also cautioned the media about fixating on distraction.
—Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
No surprise, then, that Kim is initially skeptical of Sean’s conspiracy theories, assuming her aimless husband to be fixating on trivial nonsense.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
Parasocially fixating on microcelebrities who want their money.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
He’s haunted by the specter of aging — apparent in Styles’s fixating on wellness in interviews and roasting his own hairline on Brittany Broski’s Royal Court — and has hinted at private anguish over the death of One Direction’s Liam Payne.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 11 May 2026
But Adams had a habit of fixating on his mistakes.
—New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
Perhaps, then, fixating on the ground rules, like Nelson did, isn’t the right approach.
—Quanta Magazine, 29 Apr. 2026
Worrying about chip speed is like fixating on a car’s horsepower; most people will never even come close to needing maximum power or speed.
—Larry Magid, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Hormendy also cautioned the media about fixating on distraction.
—Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
No surprise, then, that Kim is initially skeptical of Sean’s conspiracy theories, assuming her aimless husband to be fixating on trivial nonsense.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
Parasocially fixating on microcelebrities who want their money.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026
He’s haunted by the specter of aging — apparent in Styles’s fixating on wellness in interviews and roasting his own hairline on Brittany Broski’s Royal Court — and has hinted at private anguish over the death of One Direction’s Liam Payne.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fixating
Verb
-
His hands were at ten and two, his face fixed, staring straight ahead.—
Weike Wang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of seizures can include short-term confusion, staring spells, stiff muscles and jerking movements of the arms and legs.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Since time immemorial, humans gazing up at the moon have asked grand questions.—
Robin George Andrews,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
-
Other communities, such as Malibu, have developed ordinances to reduce glare and artificial light, as has Joshua Tree National Park, a star-gazing haven that is designated an International Dark Sky Park.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
This seemingly reflexive action of whipping out their phones while gawking and filming isn’t a novel occurrence.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
-
Those are important characteristics for advertisers seeking to make dynamic campaigns for an audience that's grown accustomed to viewing short-form videos on Reels or gawking at cat photos on Facebook and Instagram.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Qassem and Ali moved through every room, peering into corners, opening doors.—
Rania Abouzeid,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
-
Inside, the front desk is flanked by an animatronic dire wolf and a life-size acrylic woolly mammoth peering out from what appears to be a massive block of ice.—
Alex Morris,
Rolling Stone,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
The show’s characters idled away their time watching programs like Years of Our Days to Live.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Severe storms are expected Monday evening into overnight across the Kansas City region, and while that’s forecasters’ main concern, the National Weather Service is also watching a conditional chance for a few thunderstorms to pop up near the Kansas-Missouri line mid-afternoon.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
By then, Jeffries was eying a run for Congress.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Either way, when the team reports for training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe in late July, Rodgers will run out with the starters with the goal of leading the Steelers back to the playoffs while eyeing the franchise’s first postseason victory in a decade.—
Will Graves,
Chicago Tribune,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Webb spent his past years closely observing Infelise, who is now playing at Cincinnati.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
-
The dedicated Moon Mode within Vaonis' Singularity app delivers a live, non-stacked view of the lunar surface, refreshing every few seconds for a near real-time observing experience.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
How does the Fort Lauderdale airport fill a gaping void in flights, counter space and gates?—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
11 May 2026
-
Hutson deked around a stick-less Jordan Greenway and dropped a pass to Caufield, who scored into the gaping net as the crowd erupted.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fixating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fixating. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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