fixate

as in to gaze
to look at or think about something constantly; to give all of your attention to something
usually + on or upon
The cat was fixated on a small hole in the wall. Why do journalists fixate on scandals?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 fixate Initially, colleges mostly fixated on concerns that large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google’s Gemini would be an existential threat to academic integrity and university business models. Brad Tuttle, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2025 The Longhorns are fixated on winning a national championship. Doug Haller, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025 The woman said everything was going well in their home until her mother-in-law became fixated on rearranging items in the kitchen. Toria Sheffield, People.com, 22 Dec. 2024 This is mostly done not through organic interactions, but through Ruby’s therapist (Elizabeth Bowen) explaining her problems — from abandonment issues to fixating on a kind of love that only exists in popular culture — to her face. Alison Herman, Variety, 19 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fixate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fixate
Verb
  • Natalia, then 2 months old, gazes upward with a look that resembles wonder.
    Michael Gordon, Charlotte Observer, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Future human explorers on Mars may one day gaze at the red planet’s clouds.
    Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The clip ended with Dwayne staring at the camera frowning.
    Escher Walcott, People.com, 19 Jan. 2025
  • For better or worse, Summers is staring at a largely blank slate.
    Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Congressional Republicans are eyeing dozens of Biden administration regulations to roll back once President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in for his second term on Monday.
    Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 Jan. 2025
  • But some investors have been eyeing it, including Trump's former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and billionaire businessman Frank McCourt.
    MARK SHERMAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Scammers often make declarations of love early in the communication, and Wang says this should be considered a red flag.
    Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 18 Jan. 2025
  • The future of TikTok remains murky as the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether to uphold a law that could ban the social media app due to national security concerns starting Sunday.
    Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • However, not all the View hosts watched the celebration.
    Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Scarlett Johansson watches in shock as husband Colin Jost makes raunchy jokes about her on SNL: 'Holy s---!' As if to prove his point, Fallon surprised Jost with footage from the episode, which saw a young, Harvard sweatshirt-sporting Jost flub a question about which season August was in.
    EW.com, EW.com, 21 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Won’t everyone gawk at that weirdo claiming a table for one?
    Angela Haupt, TIME, 21 Jan. 2025
  • As the other two winners would gawk during the tours of the locker room and practice facility, Rupert would hang on every word from Batum, soaking in the advice: Be unselfish … make the extra pass … play defense … don’t try to do too much … work hard.
    Jason Quick, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Detectives observed stippling -- a burn pattern caused by gunpowder exploding from a weapon fired at close range -- on Jiang's face.
    Emma Steele, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2025
  • The film expands on Gates’ assured short Shako Mako, which observes a similar character (also played by Shawkat) plotting her escape from a simulated war zone at an army base camp by secretly recording audition tapes for casting agents.
    Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The Department of Public Safety, which has taken over primary communications regarding the fire, has not publicly identified the four victims.
    PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Anyone with information regarding this incident can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA), submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near fixate

Cite this Entry

“Fixate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fixate. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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