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
Relevance
bear down on
2 of 2phrase
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)
Verb
-
Utility man Zach McKinstry, also pressed into more responsibility, is having his own career year, going from hitting .215 to .266.—
Sam Settleman,
New York Times,
31 May 2025 -
When elections are held, Netanyahu will most likely press the two rivals to run again on a single ticket.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
McDavid shook off two periods where the Panthers shoved him to the outside and contained his electric game.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
5 June 2025
-
As the sidelines cleared and the entire team rushed the field, though, Hudson took the opportunity to charge back into the fray and shove Thibodeaux in defense of Eluemunor.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
Eventually, they were so thoroughly compressed that nuclear fusion got going—and boom, the very first stars lit up the universe.—
Robin George Andrews,
Smithsonian Magazine,
30 May 2025
-
Costello neatly compressed the clichés of political pop.—
Armond White,
National Review,
28 May 2025
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.
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 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share