solely focus on

USAGE SUMMARY

"solely focus on" is an acceptable phrase to use in written English.
It is used to emphasize that something is given exclusive attention or consideration. For example, "The company is solely focusing on developing innovative products this year."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Similarly, in order to be cognitively flexible they must overcome centration, which is the tendency for young children to solely focus on one aspect of an object or situation.

Wikipedia

I don't feel like at my own school I can solely focus on being a student," one woman explained.

Huffington Post

Nevertheless, to the best of our knowledge, it is one of the first studies to solely focus on qualitative exploration of practice facilitators' perspectives who worked with such a large number of primary care practices.

BMC Family Practice

This past summer, the NYPD formed the department's first Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad, which will solely focus on serving the abused and neglected animals of the city, making New York City one of the safest places in America for animals.

Huffington Post

You might also choose to solely focus on women broadcasters.

The New York Times

We do not solely focus on social entrepreneurs.

The Guardian

He is concerned about the risk of having banks that solely focus on the retail sector.

The Guardian - Money

It's going to dog the Springboks for the duration of the tournament and the players are not going to be able to solely focus on it.

The Guardian - Sport

The Giants Club Summit will be the largest gathering of African presidents that has ever taken place to solely focus on protecting the continent's natural heritage.

Independent

"Just the fact that you can solely focus on hitting and really not play the field — you learn to love the D.H. spot," Hafner said.

The New York Times - Sports

But Frears and his collaborators didn't solely focus on Philomena Lee (Judi Dench) and her search for her son, 50 years after he was taken from her by nuns.

The Guardian - Film

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When employing "solely focus on", consider the audience and context. In some situations, alternatives such as "exclusively focus on" or "strictly focus on" might provide a more nuanced expression of your intended meaning.

Common error

Avoid overusing "solely focus on" in a single document, as this can make your writing sound repetitive. Instead, use a mix of synonyms or rephrase sentences to provide variety and maintain reader engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "solely focus on" functions as a verb phrase that indicates the direction of one's attention or effort. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is used to emphasize that something is given exclusive attention or consideration. It modifies the action of focusing, highlighting its exclusivity.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

36%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "solely focus on" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase employed to express exclusive concentration on a specific task or subject. As Ludwig AI explains, its primary function is to emphasize dedicated attention and clarify priorities. It is deemed appropriate for various contexts, maintaining a relatively neutral register while adapting to the formality of the surrounding text. Its usage is most prevalent in News & Media and Science publications, making it a versatile option for writers across different domains. For alternative phrasing, one could consider "exclusively concentrate on" or "strictly concentrate on", but choosing the most suitable option depends on the context and desired nuance. When using this phrase, it's best to avoid overuse and vary sentence structure to maintain reader engagement.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

exclusively concentrate on

Replaces "focus" with "concentrate" and "solely" with "exclusively", emphasizing the single-mindedness of the action. The semantic similarity is very high.

strictly concentrate on

Replaces "focus" with "concentrate" and "solely" with "strictly", conveying a sense of rigidity and precision in the focus. Semantic similarity remains high.

exclusively fixate on

Uses "fixate" instead of "focus", suggesting an even stronger, perhaps obsessive, concentration. "Solely" is replaced by "exclusively".

exclusively center on

Substitutes "focus" with "center", indicating that something is the main point. "Solely" is replaced by "exclusively".

concentrate entirely on

Replaces "solely" with "entirely" and "focus" with "concentrate", which changes the wording while maintaining the core meaning.

completely focus on

Replace "solely" with "completely", which changes the wording while maintaining the core meaning.

dedicate exclusively to

Uses "dedicate" instead of "focus", indicating commitment and effort. It shifts from merely directing attention to actively investing resources. It replaces "solely" with "exclusively".

devote entirely to

Uses "devote" instead of "focus", implying a strong sense of commitment. Replaces "solely" with "entirely".

limit attention to

Focuses on the limiting aspect of attention, rather than the focusing itself. This implies a deliberate restriction. Also "solely" is removed and the focus on changes.

narrowly focus on

The term "narrowly" modifies the type of focus, suggesting a concentrated but limited scope. This is a slight shift in nuance compared to "solely".

FAQs

What does "solely focus on" mean?

The phrase "solely focus on" means to concentrate completely and exclusively on something, dedicating all attention and effort to it without being distracted by other things.

How can I use "solely focus on" in a sentence?

You can use "solely focus on" to emphasize a specific priority or goal. For example, "This quarter, we will solely focus on improving customer satisfaction."

What are some alternatives to "solely focus on"?

Alternatives include "exclusively concentrate on", "strictly concentrate on", or "concentrate entirely on" depending on the context and desired nuance.

When is it appropriate to use "solely focus on" instead of "focus on"?

Use "solely focus on" when you want to strongly emphasize that you are only concentrating on one specific thing and excluding everything else. It adds a level of exclusivity that "focus on" alone does not convey.