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
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Recent Examples of preoccupy
The reason, we were told, was that teachers didn’t want us to be preoccupied with vanity.
—
Charlotte Mensah, Essence, 24 Mar. 2025
But with opposing teams holding an offside line and often preoccupied by the ball-carrier at the edge of their penalty box, a player making a short burst beyond a static line of defenders is very hard to stop.
—Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
Although preoccupied with its war of choice in Ukraine, now in its fourth year, Moscow is simultaneously making a major play to expand political leverage on the continent.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
The comedy is so wonderfully weightless as to seem entirely free from the gravitational pull of the history that had preoccupied Wilde’s family, and of a place called Ireland, where the unfortunately unavailable food was not the cucumber but the potato.
—Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Charlotte Mensah, Essence, 24 Mar. 2025
But with opposing teams holding an offside line and often preoccupied by the ball-carrier at the edge of their penalty box, a player making a short burst beyond a static line of defenders is very hard to stop.
—Jordan Campbell, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
Although preoccupied with its war of choice in Ukraine, now in its fourth year, Moscow is simultaneously making a major play to expand political leverage on the continent.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
The comedy is so wonderfully weightless as to seem entirely free from the gravitational pull of the history that had preoccupied Wilde’s family, and of a place called Ireland, where the unfortunately unavailable food was not the cucumber but the potato.
—Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupy
Verb
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Noah Carrigan has always been fascinated by trucks.—
Terry Baddoo,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
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My own experience with autoimmune encephalitis—a disease that distorted my reality, sending me into psychosis and delusions—had left me fascinated by the potentials and limits of our minds.—
Susannah Cahalan,
Vogue,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Employees can engage with opportunities that interest them, trying out new roles through short-term assignments before committing to a full career change.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
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While working on 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary, Phillips said, Callis and Henderson would devolve into fits of laughter whenever Phillips tried to talk to Grant or Firth, who played Bridget’s love interests Daniel Cleaver and Mark Darcy, respectively.—
John Russell,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Traditional hiring relies on candidates applying to your company, but elite talent needs to be sought out, engaged and intrigued by a unique opportunity.—
Sarah D'Souza,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
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TikTok users have been excited and intrigued by these pitches — seeing them as attempts to not only spit on Trump’s plan but expose fashion surcharges and save money on luxury goods.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Too often, however, the temptation to blame individuals or groups for housing ills distracts from the actual debate and prevents all stakeholders from discovering their mutual interests.—
Matt Frazier,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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The scientists now plan on developing the technology further, which will include boosting its ability to filter out distracting background noises such as those produced by body movements.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Last spring, Harvard students protesting Israel's retaliatory attacks on Gaza occupied the university's central courtyard for 20 days and staged a 24-hour sit-in in another building.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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The Israeli Defense Forces now claim to occupy some 30% of Gaza territory.—
Lucien Bruggeman,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupy. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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