as in to concentrate
to fix (as one's attention) steadily toward a central objective
try to focus your attention on the task at hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest
in the 19th century Paris was the focus of the art world
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in compass
a guiding or motivating purpose or principle
a wildlife conservation organization that seems to have lost its focus
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of focus
Cori Sears, The Spruce, 14 Jan. 2026
Beverage director Audrey Dowling will focus on international small-production wines and a rotating list of three classic cocktails.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026
The focus is from Garland Avenue to the train tracks.
—Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for focus
Verb
During non-blooming periods, the bulb focuses on producing tall leaves that capture energy and store it for the next flowering phase.
—Noun
The chef elevates those nostalgic, Sicilian childhood classics to alchemic heights, with a heavy seafood focus courtesy of the coastal location (the southwest coast has a rich history of tonnaras—tuna farms).
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for focus
Verb
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Meanwhile, innovation might just concentrate at already-productive sectors of the economy.—
-
The Court now rigidly reads legal texts through originalism and textualism, both of which concentrate power in the judiciary, and especially in the Supreme Court.—
Noun
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Godfall tells the story of a small Nebraska town, which becomes the center of the world when a giant alien crash lands out of the sky beside it.—
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Mitsubishi is looking to capitalize on rising power needs from data centers, manufacturing, as well as LNG exports, by expanding in the the world's largest gas market, citing domestic consumption, production, exports, and further demand growth.—
Noun
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The narrow compass of his interiority summons a narrow prose.—
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Simon Beck works alone, using a compass and a pair of snowshoes to create intricate patterns as large as three soccer fields.—
Noun
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Fort Worth as a whole has made a strong push to be recognized as a hub for film production.—
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Among other speakers at the Summit was Zach Kokoloff, senior vice president/asset management at Hackman Capital Partners which operates Radford Studio Center in Studio City, a 55-acre hub of stages, offices and support staff.—
Noun
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For once, things appear to be moving in the right direction in the injury department.—
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The poll shows that 47% of Marylanders believe the state is headed in the right direction, but 44% say the state is headed in the wrong direction.—
Noun
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Community development financial institutions are banks, credit unions, loan funds and capital funds that have a mission to provide help to underserved, often low-income or rural, communities.—
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School can be an awful place, where social capital is built on a person’s acceptance by a group, and any difference is sniffed out and mocked, sometimes worse.—
Noun
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The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only.—
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The core purpose of Taste Addison – promoting Addison's 200+ restaurants – will be reenvisioned to include new, year-round options to support and elevate North Texas' most vibrant dining hub.—
Noun
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Frequenting some of the city’s smaller concert venues that help Chicago thrive as a live-music mecca.—
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Furano, Japan Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands, is a powder mecca.—
Cite this Entry
“Focus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/focus. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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