preoccupy

as in to fascinate
to be thought about or worried about by (someone) very often or constantly The question of life after death has preoccupied many philosophers.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of preoccupy Deena is preoccupied by her romantic designs on Maddie and general horniness. Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025 Johnson announced the news late Friday as many Chicagoans were preoccupied with the impending federal incursion or already logged off for the week. Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025 With Russia preoccupied in Ukraine, and Iran with Israel, Maduro is left to fend for himself. Kristina Foltz, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025 The rental industry has spent the last decade being preoccupied with efficiency. Maria Williams, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupy
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
  • The fund also uses zero leverage—a nice extra margin of safety should interest rates unexpectedly rise.
    Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • But Henry gets distracted by a massive prison explosion, allowing Jonah to plunge a hidden knife into his chest.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
  • This might mean dropping a product line that’s profitable but distracts from your core business, or saying no to a good opportunity that isn’t aligned with your growth strategy.
    Minna Hu, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • My father was a thirty-two-year-old tank commander who had crossed to occupied France shortly after D-Day, fought in the savage battle for Caen and then on through northern France.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2025
  • In other words, the festival space now occupies a similar footprint as the Kentucky State Fair, minus the South Wing and Freedom Hall.
    Kirby Adams, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupy. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

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