Synonyms of bear
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as in to have 
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as in to stand
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as in to relate
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as in to head
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as in to carry
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as in to hold
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as in to behave
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as in to haul
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as in to assume
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as in to pack
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as in to lead
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as in to need
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as in to contain
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as in to be
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as in to yield
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as in headache
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as in crab
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1
as in to have
to bring forth from the womb
luckily, she turned out to be able to bear children after all
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stand
to put up with (something painful or difficult)
I can't bear the thought of losing another loved one
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3
4
as in to head
to go on a specified course or in a certain direction
the road bears left after the second traffic light
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5
6
as in to hold
to keep in one's mind or heart
I'm not one to bear grudges
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7
as in to behave
to manage the actions of (oneself) in a particular way
she bore herself well in her first public speaking event
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8
9
as in to assume
to take to or upon oneself
I bear some responsibility for the mishap
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12
as in to need
to have as a requirement
the violence in that country bears watching if the world wants to avoid a serious international conflict
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14
1
as in headache
a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work
the upcoming kitchen renovation sounds like a real bear
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2
as in crab
an irritable and complaining person
you've been a real bear lately—are you having a bad week?
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bear
Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
Troublemaker covers all 95 years of Mandela's life, from his childhood in the Eastern Cape, where he was born Rolihlahla Mandela in 1918, through his 27 years of imprisonment and eventual election as president of South Africa.
—Jeremy Helligar, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Chris Lau, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
It's become the boy who cried wolf, bear, moose, badger, wombat, elephant, natterjack toad, mandrel, meerkat, blue whale, lesser skink, prairie dog, ferret, wildebeest, dingo, tree kangaroo, sloth, anteater, blue-footed booby, Norwegian Blue, and half the catalog in the Museum of Natural History.
—New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bear
Verb
Guo says the approach can be scaled up to much larger sizes suitable for load-bearing platforms.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
Troublemaker covers all 95 years of Mandela's life, from his childhood in the Eastern Cape, where he was born Rolihlahla Mandela in 1918, through his 27 years of imprisonment and eventual election as president of South Africa.
—Jeremy Helligar, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026
Noun
China’s decision not to renew the leases of those four bears was potentially related to Taiwan as well, one international relations expert told CNN earlier, coming after Shirahama elected a mayor with a pro-Taiwan stance.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
It's become the boy who cried wolf, bear, moose, badger, wombat, elephant, natterjack toad, mandrel, meerkat, blue whale, lesser skink, prairie dog, ferret, wildebeest, dingo, tree kangaroo, sloth, anteater, blue-footed booby, Norwegian Blue, and half the catalog in the Museum of Natural History.
—New Atlas, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bear
Verb
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Boston's David Pastrnak had an assist on Lindholm's goal to extend his scoring streak to four games, with four goals and four assists in that span.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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While past studies have shown that dairy products may have a protective effect against dementia, how specific dairy products affect cognitive health remains unclear.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Health,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Episode 3 ended with Ron, Eric Nam, Kristen Kish, and Caroline Stanbury all tied to trees and hilariously pleading for their lives while the Traitors and a masked executioner all just kind of stood there awkwardly.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
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For immigration advocates in the Bay Area, Good’s death has intensified long-standing concerns about intimidation and retaliation against those who monitor federal agents.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Dykstra, 62, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of possessing narcotics and narcotic-related equipment but was not taken into custody, trooper Kody Nowicki told The Athletic.—
Matt Moret,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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With so many insects packed together in moist and dark places — and all closely related, sharing the same genetic vulnerabilities — infections and diseases can quickly pose an enormous threat to the well-being of an ant colony.—
Arundathi Nair,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Then, after Beck threw an interception, the Rebels were able to cut the lead to 17-16 in favor of the Hurricanes heading into the fourth quarter for the ages.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Both will now likely head to arbitration hearings.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Three agents are then seen carrying the man away from the scene by his arms and one of his legs.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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Art carries wellness benefits, as well.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Goodarzi is being held without bail at the Central Detention Center.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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The 31-year-old would like a round with McTominay at the Marco Simone course in Rome, where the 2023 Ryder Cup was held.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Coming from both the Sun and also omnidirectionally from elsewhere across the Universe, these cosmic rays all behaved the same way normal particles do on Earth, except were at significantly greater energies.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Jan. 2026
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This planning capability allows robots to behave less reactively and more strategically when faced with complex tasks.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Most of the parts for such houses are assembled in a factory, like a car, then hauled to the property and put together.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
27 Jan. 2026
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Once completed, crews will start hauling snow from downtown and midtown to improve safety and accessibility in high-traffic areas.—
Jake Allen,
IndyStar,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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