as in attracts
to hold one's attention to an extreme degree
The TV show obsessed me so much that I was up all night watching.
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Recent Examples of obsesses
While the market obsesses over chips, the real story is Nvidia's 'five-layer stack' designed to squeeze hyperscaler margins and lock-in the generation of agentic AI.
—
Fred Imbert, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2026
While Washington debates deepfakes and Silicon Valley obsesses over LLMs that write poetry, the global economy is hitting a physical wall.
—Vivek Ranadive, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
Trump obsesses over bloodlines too.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
The narrator cries, rages, longs for the living body and the lively boy, and obsesses over painful details, especially the bleak journey by sea that brought the remains of his beloved friend back home.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The story follows trauma nurse Aly Cappellucci, who obsesses over masked men on social media, fantasizing about them chasing her down.
—Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 26 Jan. 2026
Two nights later, Bregman got the celebrity treatment in a United Center suite while watching a Chicago Blackhawks game, an outing that drew attention in a city that obsesses over sports the way Washington revolves around politics and Los Angeles draws an identity from Hollywood.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
But that’s not all, as Markle, in particular, reportedly obsesses over details.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 29 Dec. 2025
As the Front Range obsesses over a 10-2 Broncos team and the Nuggets’ sudden indifference to defense, Nasty Nate is quietly painting his professional masterpiece across Ball Arena’s frozen canvas.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 3 Dec. 2025
Fred Imbert, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2026
While Washington debates deepfakes and Silicon Valley obsesses over LLMs that write poetry, the global economy is hitting a physical wall.
—Vivek Ranadive, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
Trump obsesses over bloodlines too.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
The narrator cries, rages, longs for the living body and the lively boy, and obsesses over painful details, especially the bleak journey by sea that brought the remains of his beloved friend back home.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The story follows trauma nurse Aly Cappellucci, who obsesses over masked men on social media, fantasizing about them chasing her down.
—Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 26 Jan. 2026
Two nights later, Bregman got the celebrity treatment in a United Center suite while watching a Chicago Blackhawks game, an outing that drew attention in a city that obsesses over sports the way Washington revolves around politics and Los Angeles draws an identity from Hollywood.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
But that’s not all, as Markle, in particular, reportedly obsesses over details.
—Stylecaster Editors, StyleCaster, 29 Dec. 2025
As the Front Range obsesses over a 10-2 Broncos team and the Nuggets’ sudden indifference to defense, Nasty Nate is quietly painting his professional masterpiece across Ball Arena’s frozen canvas.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 3 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obsesses
Verb
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The contest’s grand final is a defining event on the LGBTQ+ calendar and attracts interest across the continent, showcasing some of Europe’s most talented, eccentric and varied performers.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
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Sunbeds and towels jostle for space like life-size Tetris pieces on the volcanic slate-gray sands of Lemesos's Dasoudi beach; farther along the coast, Malindi, a beach bar and restaurant, attracts a lunchtime crowd that lingers long after the sun has set.—
Selina Denman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Each, in different ways, fascinates me.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
24 Mar. 2026
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That singular point of view fascinates me.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hopefully, there’s a spot that intrigues you.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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The menu has a lot of delicious choices, but the one that intrigues my girlfriend is their overnight oat bowl.—
C.W. Cameron,
AJC.com,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And along with gender and empowerment, there’s also something about having bright colors and a lot of grief on stage that interests me.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
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The Supreme Court only grants review to about 1% of petitions, but one scenario where the odds are higher involves federal circuit splits—especially when the number of people impacted is considerable and when the legal question interests the justices.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obsesses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obsesses. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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