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bearing

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verb

present participle of bear
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as in carrying
to hold up or serve as a foundation for the wooden bridge will only bear one truck at a time

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in packing
to wear or have on one's person the right to bear arms

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in leading
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction the path will bear north after that marked tree

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as in yielding
to produce as revenue an interest-bearing savings account

Synonyms & Similar Words

bearing

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adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun bearing contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of bearing are carriage, demeanor, deportment, manner, and mien. While all these words mean "the outward manifestation of personality or attitude," bearing is the most general of these words but now usually implies characteristic posture.

a woman of regal bearing

When is it sensible to use carriage instead of bearing?

The meanings of carriage and bearing largely overlap; however, carriage applies chiefly to habitual posture in standing or walking.

the kind of carriage learned at boarding school

When could demeanor be used to replace bearing?

The synonyms demeanor and bearing are sometimes interchangeable, but demeanor suggests one's attitude toward others as expressed in outward behavior.

the haughty demeanor of the headwaiter

When might deportment be a better fit than bearing?

While in some cases nearly identical to bearing, deportment suggests actions or behavior as formed by breeding or training.

your deportment was atrocious

In what contexts can manner take the place of bearing?

While the synonyms manner and bearing are close in meaning, manner implies characteristic or customary way of moving and gesturing and addressing others.

the imperious manner of a man used to giving orders

Where would mien be a reasonable alternative to bearing?

The words mien and bearing are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mien is a literary term referring both to bearing and demeanor.

a mien of supreme self-satisfaction

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bearing
Verb
This was the platform on which Lincoln won re-election in 1864—a re-election made possible by battlefield triumphs due in large part to Black arms-bearing. Akhil Reed Amar, Time, 22 Sep. 2025 How impressive a comeback Don’t Believe The Truth was in 2005 after the relative disappointment of 2002’s Heathen Chemistry has no bearing on why Oasis’s reunion tour is this year’s hottest ticket. Jesse Adams, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
As a result, valuable lithium-bearing minerals are carried to the surface by air bubbles, while unwanted materials remain behind. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025 Another captured the front of a door bearing a handwritten note that asked passersby not to close it. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bearing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bearing
Noun
  • That relevance has stuck in Kansas City three weeks later.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 Sep. 2025
  • With the political violence in his new movie One Battle After Another, Sean Penn is aware of the film’s growing cultural relevance.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Also, like Johnson, the station chief had an unusually friendly relationship with Bukele.
    T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Aside from the amphitheater’s good-natured janitor Beppo (Kim Bodnia), Momo’s most meaningful relationship is her friendship with Gino (Araloyin Oshunremi), a teenager working multiple jobs to help his mother Liliana (Jennifer Amaka Pettersson) support his siblings.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Chisholm's behavior in the locker room afterwards told the rest of the story.
    Drew VonScio, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Adjust model behavior to match age-appropriate rules.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Despite having three new starters on the offensive line, Winchester dictated the pace, which led to a dominating performance from senior captain Gianni DePrimeo, who ran for five touchdowns.
    Justin Barrasso, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
  • The animosity between the two boiled over when suspicions grew among the Joneses that Brandon was Marty Baker’s secret informant, after a Skeet associate spotted Brandon and Baker having lunch together in Mentone.
    Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Leaving perennials standing through the winter instead of cutting them back retains nesting material and natural hiding places for overwintering birds and pollinators.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The full universe of printers covers a lot of territory, from portable photo printers to floor-standing behemoths.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Libra balanced scales also teach us that relating is a paradox.
    Colin Bedell, Them., 17 Sep. 2025
  • Working Within The Trade And With Private Clients Enhancing and relating the company legacy is vitally important to Amenc, who started working for Golay Fils & Stahl in 2001.
    Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Baker was heading 96 miles from Midland, Texas, to Loving County in the heart of the Permian Basin, the highest-producing oil field in the country.
    Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
  • The Royals scored on their next two drives, with two more touchdown runs from Gibson, from one and 14 yards to stretch their lead to 44-21 heading into the fourth quarter.
    Jordan Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • He was found carrying a gun in a holster when he was patted down and a magazine in his pants pocket, police said.
    KC Baker, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Bonus points for the wide handles that make carrying it to and from the oven a piece of cake—literally.
    Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bearing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bearing. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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