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 Gemma has been preoccupied with her efforts to publicly atone for creating a murderous AI doll, and so Cady has had to get crafty in order to explore her budding interest in coding. Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 25 June 2025 To preoccupy is to dominate or engross the mind to the exclusion of other thoughts. Eli Amdur, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025 Yet he is also preoccupied with instilling a sense of idealism and conviction in both the party and the rest of the Chinese population. Joseph Torigian, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025 But all that will change once the future of humanity is called into question by an otherworldly threat, and the actual Justice League is preoccupied/unable to save the day. Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupy
Verb
  • Long fascinated by the moa, Jackson and Walsh have been collecting bones of the extinct bird for years.
    Degen Pener, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025
  • Michael Karin has long been fascinated by what happens when inflammation — ideally a short-term burst of biological activity to promote healing or fight infection — turns chronic and potentially deadly.
    Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2025
Verb
  • Sign up here and bet $5 on Mariners-Yankees, Mets-Orioles or any other matchup that interests you, and get $150 in bonus bets credited to your account if your initial wager wins.
    Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
  • Use LinkedIn’s alumni search to find people in industries or roles that interest you.
    Jill Tipograph, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • Olympia’s ex-husband, Julian (Jason Ritter), the son of the firm’s head (Beau Bridges), is intrigued by Matty and her clever skills.
    Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 15 July 2025
  • This move is sure to intrigue and inspire marketers and business professionals alike.
    Andrew Faridani, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • As the plant grows around it, the support becomes almost invisible and does not distract from the plant's beauty.
    Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2025
  • This all, of course, was not to distract from the center of her makeup look: a matte red lip.
    Essence, Essence, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • Founded in 2006, the center had previously occupied a single, tiny room on the University Union’s first floor.
    Calista Oetama, Sacbee.com, 11 July 2025
  • Interrogating the ways different myths occupy their own unique spaces establishes pathways into existences of literary immortality, offering prisms into the art of storytelling.
    Irenosen Okojie July 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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