bear (down on) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of bear (down on)next
as in to weigh (on or upon)
to push steadily against with some force you need to bear down on that cap a bit to get it to latch tightly

Synonyms & Similar Words

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bear down on

2 of 2

phrase

as in highlight
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on Our manager bore down on the need to meet upcoming deadlines.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bear (down on)
  1. press
  2. shove
  3. compress
Verb
  • Faculty activists are pressing UC to hold formal talks and speed up the timeline.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Its golf infrastructure is limited, its player pool small and its sporting ambitions are pressed against larger national burdens.
    — Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
Definition of press
Verb
  • Hakimi shoved Laryea to the ground and then Laryea pushed him and a minor scuffle ensued.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • The calming locales both complement and contradict the plot’s revelations, which are hardly bombshells but do speak to how well-to-do families labor to shove inconvenient skeletons into the closet.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of shove
Verb
  • The consumer version compresses that same idea into a ring, watch or app.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 3 July 2026
  • Investment grade spreads are trading near historical tights, and high yield spreads have compressed below 300 basis points — a level that, according to iShares analysis, has occurred only 5% of the time since January 2000.
    — Jason Kirsch, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of compress
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.

Browse Nearby Words

bear (down)
bear (down on)
bear down on
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Cite this Entry

“Bear (down on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear%20%28down%20on%29. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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