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
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
All of this scares me, interests me, obsesses me.
—Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
Much of Muscle Man really is plotless—Harold steals a student’s backpack, goes to a department meeting, then fits in a workout—but Casey is a common thread, as Harold often obsesses about securing his approval.
—Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
Page Six of the New York Post predictably leaps on every Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift nugget, obsesses on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, and likes reminding readers whenever Zoë Kravitz and Harry Styles are holding hands in a Brooklyn bar.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 11 Sep. 2025
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
All of this scares me, interests me, obsesses me.
—Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
Much of Muscle Man really is plotless—Harold steals a student’s backpack, goes to a department meeting, then fits in a workout—but Casey is a common thread, as Harold often obsesses about securing his approval.
—Jeremy Gordon, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
Page Six of the New York Post predictably leaps on every Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift nugget, obsesses on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, and likes reminding readers whenever Zoë Kravitz and Harry Styles are holding hands in a Brooklyn bar.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obsesses
Verb
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The attention attracts con artist Jacob (Robbie Allen), who sends three clumsy thieves led by Kodiak (Richmond) to steal the kangaroo and appease the wealthy Kathryn (Kinmont) and her ailing son.—
William Earl,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2026
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For high-net-worth individuals, success not only attracts opportunity but also exposure.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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How golfers rely on — and leverage — technology fascinates Skenes, from the numbers culled relative to swing speed and ball flight to how their bodies must be in sync to generate so much club speed.—
Tribune News Service,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
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What fascinates me as a writer is what is sometimes left out of the historical record, what gets tucked away in odd places.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
-
And what intrigues you about where Tim and Lucy are headed for the rest of the season?—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What, other than money, interests the Bears?—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
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Pick a topic that interests you, and look for book recommendations made by experts in that field to work out which reads are worth your valuable time.—
Barnaby Lashbrooke,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Obsesses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obsesses. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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