bear down

verb

bore down; borne down also born down; bearing down; bears down

transitive verb

: overcome, overwhelm

intransitive verb

: to exert full strength and concentrated attention

see also bear down on

Synonyms of bear down

• weigh (on or upon)
• press
• shove
• compress

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

The father will not pause bearing down on his wife and keeps his focus intent on her face. —Literary Hub, 15 Dec. 2025

On the second play of the drive, with Washington rushers bearing down, Madsen threw a high-arcing ball into heavy coverage, and Huskies cornerback Rashawn Clark brought it down. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 14 Dec. 2025

For fans willing to freeze on Sunday, bear down and bundle up. —Noel Brennan, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025

With leftists bearing down on him, Goldman recently renewed his progressive credentials with legislation that would tax the ultra-wealthy. —Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 9 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for bear down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

bear down

verb

1

: overwhelm, overcome

2

: to press or weigh down

3

: to make an all-out effort

4

: to weigh heavily on : burden

Medical Definition

bear down

intransitive verb

(ˈ)ba(ə)r-ˈdau̇n, (ˈ)be(ə)r- 

: to contract the abdominal muscles and the diaphragm during childbirth