as in to interest
to hold the attention of
a puzzle will occupy that child for hours
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of occupy
Her husband, their five-year-old son, eight-year-old stepdaughter, and four dogs kept her more than occupied, especially when school let out for summer break.
—
E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2025
Also, using the bathroom for non-essential purposes and occupying the space for an extended period can cause lines—and headaches for the crew.
—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2025
But the arts soon occupied his time, as well as partying.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
Pleasure can feel distant when financial tensions occupy your emotional energy.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occupy
E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2025
Also, using the bathroom for non-essential purposes and occupying the space for an extended period can cause lines—and headaches for the crew.
—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2025
But the arts soon occupied his time, as well as partying.
—Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
Pleasure can feel distant when financial tensions occupy your emotional energy.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occupy
Verb
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The fund also uses zero leverage—a nice extra margin of safety should interest rates unexpectedly rise.—
Michael Foster,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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The Jazz have another veteran big man who could interest rival teams in Lauri Markkanen, who has been the subject of trade rumors lately.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There was some confusion about whether the recommendation approved Friday sought to require those seeking COVID vaccination to have conversations with medical professionals about the risks and benefits involved before rolling up their sleeves.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Sep. 2025
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There was no shortage of pitcher’s duels between the two lefties, but the most memorable moments of their head-to-head battles involved Bumgarner in the box and Kershaw on the mound.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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However, one businessman actually took the bait; a partner at an undisclosed financial firm spoke with Rabinowitz after being intrigued by his message.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
17 Sep. 2025
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She was initially intrigued by a story about Costco taking a public stance on DEI that led her to come out of retirement to start her non-profit.—
Julie Kratz,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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You could be immersed in a home renovation project when work calls or feel a sense of guilt for asking your parents for a raincheck.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
17 Sep. 2025
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Todd-Avery Lenahan, president and chief creative officer of Wynn Design & Development, immerses guests in a mysterious, moody underwater world.—
Melinda Sheckells,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Directly after its 1979 revolution, Iran busied itself with internal enemies.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
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Much like her idol Marlene Dietrich, Novak walked away from the business under her own steam, and has largely kept to herself, marrying an equine veterinarian and busying herself raising horses and painting.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Molina, who is fascinated by silver screen legend Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), distracts himself and Valentín with a recounting of his favorite film of hers — The Kiss of the Spider Woman.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
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That kind of content always fascinated me, both sides of it, actually, the victimology and the perpetrator’s perspective.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Convertibles are more expensive, often attracting older drivers with more income — and generally, more caution behind the wheel.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Public figures, academics and everyday business owners have faced consequences for comments and social media posts that contained celebrations or other musings that attracted swift condemnation.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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British officials see the visit as a way to engage a president whose foreign policy has challenged postwar norms.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry
Shane Croucher
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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Then the focus automatically becomes about engaging a diverse slate of talent that can evolve thinking and generate unconventional solutions.—
Heather V. MacArthur,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Occupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occupy. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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