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
Jennifer Green, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
But even then, the company appears focused on event programming rather than a full weekly schedule.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
Mary Moreland, Fortune, 17 May 2026
What also played into the lack of focus could also have been the Trojans getting to comfortable.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for focus
Verb
Despite its melding of international auteurs and A-list celebrities, SSIFF is sometimes pigeonholed as mostly focused on Spain and Latin America.
—Jennifer Green, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
But even then, the company appears focused on event programming rather than a full weekly schedule.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
Noun
This debt burden leads to higher stress and sleepless nights, and directly undermines the focus and efficiency of Americans in their prime working years.
—Mary Moreland, Fortune, 17 May 2026
What also played into the lack of focus could also have been the Trojans getting to comfortable.
—Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for focus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for focus
Verb
-
Jacob Ashworth, the company’s artistic director, has removed the original’s choral scenes, concentrated the action, and cut down the cast to just the five principal roles.—
Russell Platt,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
-
To be sure, Oppenheimer said the market rally on the back of these sectors is highly concentrated, with telecommunication, media and technology accounts for 85% of the S & P 500 ’s return this year.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
But Patrick Mahomes, who tore his ACL last December, is ahead of schedule and will likely be under center when these two teams square off in early November.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
-
The tension spilled into election issues, including accusations that Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco seized ballots in a voter‑fraud investigation, now at the center of a legal fight with the state attorney general.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
So what if the compass hallucinates half the time?—
Caroline Rose Giuliani,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
-
But a new study of one bull ant species shows the insects continue to navigate when the sun goes down—using an innate lunar compass.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
-
Although based in Hong Kong—a city better known as a global trading hub than a center for jewelry artistry—Forms has positioned itself as a creative force in contemporary high jewelry.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The draft was the league’s first step in this direction.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
The legal system is moving in both directions at once.—
Jason Snyder,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, Anthropic argued that the US still holds several major advantages, including stronger chip ecosystems, leading AI companies, and broader access to capital for large-scale AI infrastructure.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
-
Legislation in Louisiana seeks to address the Supreme Court ruling by scrapping a district that snakes over 200 miles (321 kilometers) northwest from the capital, Baton Rouge, to Shreveport, creating a voting bloc with a majority of Black residents.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Each object was made by someone, with a precise intention—to embody a necessary purpose, once held in relation to a community.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Iran, which says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, was said to have included some nuclear concessions in its latest proposal to end the war.—
Michelle L. Price,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Once the snow melts, the resort transforms into a downhill mountain biking mecca featuring more than 80 miles of singletrack.—
Sharael Kolberg,
Travel + Leisure,
12 May 2026
-
Once regarded as a mecca for luxury shopping, drawing visitors from across Chicagoland to experience a level of polish few suburban malls could hope to surpass, Northbrook Court today is something akin to a retail wasteland.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Focus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/focus. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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