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

Relevance

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 Both groups fixate on the idea of romantic love, which seems exclusionary and, paradoxically, limiting, something true love never is. Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 14 Feb. 2025 It's gone beyond the cup, too: Coffee grounds make an amazing body scrub; coffee is the perfect ingredient in an eye cream for de-puffing under-eyes; and some people are fixated on coffee as an ingredient in… wait for it… enemas. Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2025 In a film industry increasingly fixated on the bigger, better and bolder — from CGI to motion capture or greenscreen technology — nothing gets Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham more excited than traditional stop-motion animation. Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Feb. 2025 Here are the top moments from the 2025 Super Bowl, according to social media: Viewers fixated on score box design One early topic of discussion was the score box featured on screen throughout the game. Carolyn Burt, Orange County Register, 9 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fixate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fixate
Verb
  • Like Michel Hazanavicius’ Godard Mon Amour, also set during May ’68, France’s chaotic history feels like a colorful backdrop for comedy, with lots of vintage costumes, old cars and sepia-toned set decorations to gaze at.
    Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2025
  • At 1,500-foot elevation, sip a banana daiquiri while scanning the panoramic view, gazing to the north at St. Thomas’s uninhabited island, then to the east at the British Virgin Islands.
    Carol M. Bareuther, AFAR Media, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • In the sweet snap, Tove can be seen nestled between Collins and McDowell, staring up at her dad.
    Hannah Sacks, People.com, 19 Feb. 2025
  • The students stared, looking back and forth between my mom and me.
    Rebekah Taussig, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Hawaii has reportedly eyed the idea positively, and rival Candela has its electric hydrofoil vessels already operating in Stockholm, Sweden, with plans for Lake Tahoe in the US, as well as Saudi Arabia and New Zealand.
    Nicole Kobie, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
  • On the other hand, this is expected to be an uncommonly deep draft at running back and teams looking for tailbacks may be eyeing a rookie.
    Matt Barrows, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The goal in looking at the results is to see if the segments are generally operating as expected and consider the capital allocation decisions made by Warren Buffett.
    Bill Stone, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
  • About 15% percent of people are considered to be this chronotype.
    Amy McGorry, Fox News, 23 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Given the area’s proximity to Missouri, she’s also watched as voters there struggled with more limited access to early and mail-in voting.
    Jonathan Shorman and, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2025
  • The streamer’s customers watched more than 94 billion hours on Netflix in the second half of last year, a 5% increase year over year, according to its latest Engagement Report sharing data on what people watched on from July-December 2024.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • On a nice day, a visitor showing up to gawk at the mansion soon will discover that there’s company — other visitors there for the same purpose.
    Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Wholesome fun things that are free for people to gawk at and tell their grandkids about.
    Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Others – delaying doctor’s appointments, going hungry instead of going to the food bank, tolerating abuse instead of seeking help – are harder to observe, and their negative effects may not be evident for years.
    Kristina Fullerton Rico, The Conversation, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Astronomers are using a multitude of telescopes to observe the space rock to understand its size and orbit, which will likely reveal lower chances of a 2032 collision than what the current data shows.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • He was widely regarded as a titan of theological writing and, as pope, wrote tome after tome of commentaries using pencil and paper at his desk in the Vatican apartments or his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo.
    Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Although other issuers will waive credit card annual fees for active-duty servicemembers, Amex is regarded as one of the most accommodating.
    Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fixate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fixate. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on fixate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!