FIXATING Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

fixating

verb

present participle of fixate

as in staring

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?

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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 fixating The framework pushes families to think about how digital experiences fit into a teen’s overall well-being rather than fixating on a daily hour count. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026 Lewis Carroll’s fairy tale would serve as a psychological refuge and childhood obsession for Cathy as a young girl, fixating on the idea of drinking a potion to shrink so that no one can see her or reach her. — Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 Cancer Nostalgia for former flames or fixating on someone else’s expectations can keep you from genuine romantic fulfillment. — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2026 But fixating on carbon in this way carries an unintended consequence. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026 For more advice on how to stop fixating on your body image, listen to this episode of NPR's Life Kit. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026 The ear popping and discomfort caused by changing cabin pressure may be completely normal, but knowing that doesn’t necessarily stop you from fixating on it. — Brandon Schultz, Travel + Leisure, 21 Aug. 2026 Robbins recommends watching trends over weeks and months rather than fixating on last night’s number. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026 This move also reveals more about billionaire philanthropy than only fixating on the tax issue. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 30 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fixating

Verb

The Royals were out of the AL Central race by August and staring at another losing season.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 Oct. 2026
Screens compound the problem because people blink less while staring at them.

— Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of staring

Verb

The film opens with Tenzing as a boy, gawking at Mount Everest, which looms across the valley like Godzilla.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
On most days the Jewel House in the Tower of London is packed with tourists gawking at the fabled British Crown Jewels.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of gawking

Verb

The trailer begins with Pegg, who plays serial killer anesthetist Jason Nash, peering at a screen as a Channel 4 news story reports that the new identity of his former girlfriend and accomplice, a nurse named Alice Bell, has surfaced online.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026
Looking at his work is like peering through a series of conjoined windows that lead to different times, spaces and bodily states.

— Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of peering

Verb

Jack Rollins, the producing titan who managed Mike Nichols, Elaine May and Woody Allen, imparted some wisdom after watching Crystal’s act.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
The third-quarter earnings season is gaining momentum, with investors closely watching corporate outlooks amid rising costs and uncertainty surrounding artificial intelligence spending.

— Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of watching

Verb

Newsom, who's preparing to leave office in January and eyeing a 2028 presidential run, argued the mandate would improve workplace collaboration and innovation, which will help government better serve the public.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
For individual investors eyeing the spin-off, Ritter offered a measured outlook.

— Robert Gray, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of eyeing

Verb

Evil spirits lurk at every turn when observing this hellish home.

— Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
This snapshot shows the geologic feature as captured by the OLI (Operational Land Imager) aboard the Landsat 9 satellite, an Earth-observing craft that launched back in 2021.

— Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of observing

Verb

There, in these gaping anaerobic middens, their bones mummify.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
After submerging himself, Jay gets entangled in the tentacles of a giant squid, and that’s when the whale, who feeds on squid, pulls both Jay and the squid into his oversize gaping mouth.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026