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
Relevance
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
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of focus
Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
But again and again, Bargatze focused less on those who had won than on the stakes of running over time.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 13 Sep. 2025
The billowing silhouette of harem and balloon pants is back in focus, as seen on the spring 2026 runways of New York Fashion Week.
—Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for focus
Verb
Focus On Your Most Interesting Customers Too many companies focus on their largest customers.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
But again and again, Bargatze focused less on those who had won than on the stakes of running over time.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
Viral videos and thousands of comments soon followed, mostly echoing her frustration that the chain was rebranding instead of putting the focus on food quality.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 13 Sep. 2025
The billowing silhouette of harem and balloon pants is back in focus, as seen on the spring 2026 runways of New York Fashion Week.
—Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 13 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for focus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for focus
Verb
-
The challenge is ensuring that AI development follows these principles rather than defaulting to extractive models that concentrate benefits in already-wealthy regions.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Studies over the past several years have also shown that marijuana is associated with problems concentrating, remembering and learning.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
And the data center blueprints running on Omniverse provide a digital twin for the design, construction, and operation of an AI data center, or AI factory as Nvidia refers to them.—
Jim McGregor,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
An even bigger concern may be whether New York has an in-house center capable of filling the 3C void.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
These seven essential mental health habits help highly effective CEOs ensure their compass stays true.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Not as a wound, but as a compass.—
Zach Sweet,
Kansas City Star,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
His grand plans for his production company, Nateland, which is already a multimedia hub for wholesome humor, include, among many other projects, an amusement park.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The underrated sale section is a hub for seriously steep discounts—up to 63% off—on garden decor, lights, and tools to help give your yard a little TLC this fall.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The 50-week moving average in July crossed above the 200-week moving average, indicating that an upward direction of trend may now be in place.—
John Navin,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
And radical, if coming from any direction, is not good.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Tunnels will cut travel times between Verona and Munich by more than half to 2½ hours, between Milan and Paris by at least 30% to 4½ hours and put the Ligurian port city of Genoa within commuting distance of Italy’s finance and fashion capital — significantly remaking the Europe transit map.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The cathedral, a landmark of Gothic architecture in the heart of France's capital, was built around 1260 AD and stood for 850 years, seeing more visitors than the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre.—
Jon Haworth,
ABC News,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Someday, yes, but not conventionally now (there are efforts underway to devise specialized LLMs that can achieve those ends, built for that vaunted purpose).—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Since late last year, China has ramped up its restrictions on exports of rare earths, even demanding proof that they will not be used for military purposes.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Ross, who’s busy trying to build West Palm Beach into a mecca, could have spoken up during the offseason when his friends assuredly told him that Miami’s cornerback group was delinquently inadequate.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
-
From white polka dots against black bases and brown polka dots with baby blue bases, the abstract design is gaining traction and taking on many forms within the style mecca as the rise of Y2K nostalgia inspires more playful everyday aesthetics.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Focus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/focus. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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