bear down
verb
bore down; borne down also born down; bearing down; bears down
: to exert full strength and concentrated attention
Examples of bear down in a Sentence
you need to bear down on that cap a bit to get it to latch tightly
Recent Examples on the Web
That was shown 10 minutes later, as Chelsea moved up the pitch after a kind deflection allowed Fernandez to bear down on the Brighton defence.
—
Thom Harris, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
The relationship isn’t a reprieve from the systemic forces bearing down on them individually, but rather a magnifying glass for them.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
The universe and my mother bear down.
—Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Matthew McConaughey stars as Kevin McKay, a down-on-his-luck school bus driver who rises to the occasion as fire bears down on the community.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bear down
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.
Thom Harris, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025
The relationship isn’t a reprieve from the systemic forces bearing down on them individually, but rather a magnifying glass for them.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
The universe and my mother bear down.
—Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Matthew McConaughey stars as Kevin McKay, a down-on-his-luck school bus driver who rises to the occasion as fire bears down on the community.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bear down
Cite this Entry
“Bear down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bear%20down. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
bear down
intransitive verb
: to contract the abdominal muscles and the diaphragm during childbirth
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share