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
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Relevance
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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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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
Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
Parents can open the savings accounts for American kids under the age of 18 (with a Social Security number), but only those born between 2025 and 2028 will receive the $1,000 seed money from the federal government.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
Our manatees, panthers, bears and countless other species rely on healthy ecosystems to survive, ecosystems that are shrinking daily due to human encroachment and legislative negligence.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bear
Verb
Amara Lakhous was born in Algeria in 1970 and lived in Italy for eighteen years before moving to the United States in 2014.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
Parents can open the savings accounts for American kids under the age of 18 (with a Social Security number), but only those born between 2025 and 2028 will receive the $1,000 seed money from the federal government.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 18 Feb. 2026
Noun
Having hit the ground running with the one-two punch of Promising Young Woman (2020) and Saltburn (2023), Fennell immediately showed a knack for provocation and a willingness to poke social-issue bears, even if the aim-to-grasp ratio tended to fall short.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
Our manatees, panthers, bears and countless other species rely on healthy ecosystems to survive, ecosystems that are shrinking daily due to human encroachment and legislative negligence.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bear
Verb
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Bipartisan skepticism of corporate power comes and goes in America, but the latest wave has roots in the parallel streams flowing from the Great Financial Crisis, Occupy Wall Street and the Tea Party.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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Kids will have a blast at the Seaport Museum next door, especially when exploring the mock-village section and tall-mast whaling ship.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Following some additional testing today, the person says the DNA profile, which matches that of an unknown male, will be added to the national DNA database managed by the FBI, called CODIS, which stands for Consolidated DNA Index System.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
15 Feb. 2026
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Towers worry civil liberty advocates The most basic models of Anduril’s towers stand 33 feet tall and are equipped with video cameras and artificial intelligence software that can spot a person nearly two miles away and log a vehicle from even farther, according to the company’s website.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Officials from the Baja California Attorney General’s Office said that the vast majority of homicides in the state are related in some way to illicit activities, such as drug dealing.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
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When Santa Clara voters approved Levi’s Stadium in 2010, the ballot initiative included taxpayer protections that prevented the city from dipping into its general fund for stadium or event-related expenses.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After rounding Cap de ses Salines lighthouse, the trail heads north past Platja es Caragol and another two gorgeous coves (Roquetes and Carbó) before finishing up in Colònia de Sant Jordi.—
Paul Richardson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Feb. 2026
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Chances of snow and rain are preliminarily expected to remain heading into the weekend, forecasts show.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Keough alone could carry the film, embodying the most peculiar mix of lust and off-kilter desire in her baby-blue thigh high boots.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Feb. 2026
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He was pictured carrying a Louis Vuitton box into the restaurant—perhaps a Valentine’s Day gift for Rihanna?—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Gophers and Ducks were both ice cold in the first half, with the U holding an unsightly 22-13 lead.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
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This brought Falmouth’s deficit to as low as four points, and Hanover held a narrow 43-37 the end of the quarter.—
Zach McMahon,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Internet ran amok in his comic Worldtr33, toxic friendships became entangled in his Nice House On… books, the moneyed elite behaved badly in Exquisite Corpses.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
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Her boss behaves erratically and cruelly, the house has strange rules and Millie is forced to sleep in a small, locked attic room.—
Ashlee Conour,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Thune told reporters last week members could be hauled back in as little as 24 hours if needed.—
Al Weaver,
The Hill,
17 Feb. 2026
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Days later, officers entered his home and beat him, before hauling him off to jail.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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