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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Recent Examples of preoccupy
His obituaries were preoccupied with the fact that some of his works were very long.
—
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
When boomers were growing up, society was preoccupied with food security and having a roof over their heads, says Amy DeBlase, LMHC, LPC, PMH-C, clinical director and supervisor at Let's Talk Psychological Wellness.
—Holly Garcia, Parents, 11 Jan. 2026
Squire isn’t preoccupied by the attack against trans people.
—Emily Brindley, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
What will preoccupy many regional governments in Latin America, and policy experts in Washington, is whether the White House has considered the consequences to this latest escalation.
—Alan McPherson, The Conversation, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
When boomers were growing up, society was preoccupied with food security and having a roof over their heads, says Amy DeBlase, LMHC, LPC, PMH-C, clinical director and supervisor at Let's Talk Psychological Wellness.
—Holly Garcia, Parents, 11 Jan. 2026
Squire isn’t preoccupied by the attack against trans people.
—Emily Brindley, Dallas Morning News, 8 Jan. 2026
What will preoccupy many regional governments in Latin America, and policy experts in Washington, is whether the White House has considered the consequences to this latest escalation.
—Alan McPherson, The Conversation, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupy
Verb
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This is Taymor’s first production to embark on a national tour, and she’s been fascinated by the range of audience responses.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Feb. 2026
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From legal aspirations to a life of art As a girl, I was fascinated by color, texture and creative expressions.—
Anya Sesay,
jsonline.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In Brazil, the debate on narcoterrorism, even after Furtado’s bill was back on the table, seemed not to interest the main figures of the country’s far right.—
Evandro Cruz Silva,
The Dial,
10 Feb. 2026
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That doesn’t interest me as a writer.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For several months, a mysterious sign displayed in the windows of vacant storefront in Shorewood has intrigued passersby along Capitol Drive.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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The dancing and costumes took me back to being a young teen watching the airbrushed sultriness of early-2000s MTV and being intrigued by the world that allegedly existed somewhere outside my home.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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They were seen by the clergy, for example, to be distracted by chocolate, drinking it and gossiping instead of paying attention to mass.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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State transportation officials argued that street art is distracting and can pose a risk to drivers.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On one side stood a dozen or so cages occupied by snow-white rats.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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These are among the latest antisemitic conspiracy theories to be born from the Jeffrey Epstein files, following the document dump that has occupied online commentators for days.—
Grace Gilson,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupy. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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