as in attracting
to hold one's attention to an extreme degree
The TV show obsessed me so much that I was up all night watching.
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Recent Examples of obsessing
Likewise, Shaid Shah, one of the most senior execs at Mars—the powerhouse behind household brands like Dolmio—said the best career hack is to stop obsessing over getting that promotion or dream job title, and embrace the many steps in between that get you there.
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Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 10 Jan. 2026
The mornings are frosty and flannels are back in rotation, which means skiers are pulling their gear out of storage and obsessing over ski pass options.
—Evie Carrick, Outside, 8 Jan. 2026
While hitting such a peak in the band’s career, Montenegro started obsessing over the future.
—Leonor C. Suárez, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2026
Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer became an Emmy-winning cult sensation, with fans obsessing over every battle, outfit, love triangle, and snappy Buffy-ism.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026
Blue and Yellow Designer Sarlene Molnar is currently obsessing over one complementary color duo, and that's blue and yellow.
—Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
What are some ways to start thinking about dying and death without obsessing about it?
—Malaka Gharib, NPR, 30 Dec. 2025
An absolute obsession with winning means, paradoxically, not obsessing too much over any individual result.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
Nobody in Toronto has been obsessing about hockey for weeks now, so this is as close as the Leafs will ever come to being able to lurk in the background.
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obsessing
Verb
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Cities are increasingly focused on attracting visitors who stay longer, spend more, and travel responsibly.—
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The Border Patrol experienced a similar shift during its hiring surge, attracting individuals with strong anti-immigrant views or a desire for quasi-military action.—
Verb
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Our guide to the best upcoming sci-fi movies in 2026 features a blockbuster mix of popular franchises, intriguing one-offs, and one of the greatest directors of all time heading back to alien visitation territory.—
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New York has intriguing young outfielders in Jasson Domínguez and Spencer jones, but Bellinger was the team's second best player in the lineup this season.—
Verb
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Wilentz, author of the 2010 book Dylan in America, wrote Volume 18‘s detailed, often fascinating 125-page liner notes that provides historical context for the expansive eight-CD set.—
Cite this Entry
“Obsessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obsessing. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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