preoccupy
verb
pre·oc·cu·py
(ˌ)prē-ˈä-kyə-ˌpī 
preoccupied; preoccupying; preoccupies
1
: to engage or engross the interest or attention of beforehand or preferentially
2
: to take possession of or fill beforehand or before another
Examples of preoccupy in a Sentence
The question of life after death has preoccupied many philosophers.
Recent Examples on the Web
For those still not in the know, the last installment saw Enola insecure about proving worthy of the Holmes name, struggling to figure out her own identity while Sherlock was preoccupied with a case of his own.
—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
England, with their injury problems at right-back, will be particularly preoccupied with neutralising him.
—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
4 July 2026
This book is preoccupied with self-inquiry; its protagonist takes plenty of procedural detours to cross-examine his fascination with death and his troubled relationships with women.
—
Boris Kachka,
The Atlantic,
3 July 2026
In a community where residents are preoccupied with their own difficult recovery journeys, the unity was noteworthy.
—
Seamus Bozeman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
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Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
England, with their injury problems at right-back, will be particularly preoccupied with neutralising him.
—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
4 July 2026
This book is preoccupied with self-inquiry; its protagonist takes plenty of procedural detours to cross-examine his fascination with death and his troubled relationships with women.
—
Boris Kachka,
The Atlantic,
3 July 2026
In a community where residents are preoccupied with their own difficult recovery journeys, the unity was noteworthy.
—
Seamus Bozeman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for preoccupy
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preoccupy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
preoccupy
verb
pre·oc·cu·py
(ˈ)prē-ˈäk-yə-ˌpī
1
: to hold the attention of beforehand
2
: to take possession of before another
preoccupation
noun
(ˌ)prē-ˌäk-yə-ˈpā-shən
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