Synonyms of bear
-
as in to have 
-
as in to stand
-
as in to relate
-
as in to head
-
as in to carry
-
as in to hold
-
as in to behave
-
as in to haul
-
as in to assume
-
as in to pack
-
as in to lead
-
as in to need
-
as in to contain
-
as in to be
-
as in to yield
-
as in headache
-
as in crab
-
Synonym Chooser
-
Example Sentences
-
Phrases Containing
-
Entries Near
-
Related Articles
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
6
as in to hold
to keep in one's mind or heart
I'm not one to bear grudges
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
9
as in to assume
to take to or upon oneself
I bear some responsibility for the mishap
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
11
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
13
14
1
as in headache
a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work
the upcoming kitchen renovation sounds like a real bear
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crab
an irritable and complaining person
you've been a real bear lately—are you having a bad week?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 bear
Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
Donetsk oblast, or region, in eastern Ukraine bore the brunt of the Kremlin’s systematic attacks, with heavy shelling resulting in nine civilian deaths.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
After an hour of rummaging for snacks, Mish, who weighs about 400 pounds, just walked back into the enclosure, and Lucy, who weighs about 300 pounds, ran back inside after the keepers rang a bell that the bears were trained to follow, Habben said.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bear
Verb
Doctors suspected Noah had been born with optic nerve hypoplasia, meaning his optic nerves were under-developed.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
Donetsk oblast, or region, in eastern Ukraine bore the brunt of the Kremlin’s systematic attacks, with heavy shelling resulting in nine civilian deaths.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Noun
This bears pointing out as many legacy bands and even modern bands these days go back and forth between tunings for songs to accommodate their vocalist, which of course is completely fine.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
After an hour of rummaging for snacks, Mish, who weighs about 400 pounds, just walked back into the enclosure, and Lucy, who weighs about 300 pounds, ran back inside after the keepers rang a bell that the bears were trained to follow, Habben said.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bear
Verb
-
The Kissimmee floodplain, which has very few roads even today, was an outlandishly lush and productive wilderness prior to 1961.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
29 June 2025
-
The couple made an offer immediately, having enough money tied to company stock to afford a downpayment at any time.—
Ani Freedman,
Fortune,
29 June 2025
Verb
-
That’s where things stand with Atlanta’s offense, folks.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
-
Located on Biscayne Boulevard, the Freedom Tower has long stood as a symbol of Miami’s immigrant roots.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
In February 2024, the EU adopted the Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition, legislation that specifically targeted green and climate related claims.—
Jon McGowan,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
-
Northrop Grumman officials, though, said the ULA and Artemis boosters are not directly related.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 June 2025
Verb
-
Lionel Messi heads back to Atlanta this weekend with his Inter Miami teammates to face European champion Paris Saint-Germain, and his past, in a Club World Cup Round of 16 game that is loaded with compelling storylines.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
27 June 2025
-
This latest Emerson College Polling survey also found close to 53 percent believed the country was on the wrong track, compared to close to 48 percent of respondents who said the U.S. was headed in the right direction.—
Caroline Vakil,
The Hill,
27 June 2025
Verb
-
Fine, elegant bubbles carry lifted aromas of raspberry, red apple skin, and rose petal.—
Paul Caputo,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
On Sunday, two supertankers—each carrying up to 2 million barrels—turned back in the Strait of Hormuz after U.S. airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites raised fears of commercial shipping being targeted, Bloomberg reported.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
The Mariners hold a 5 1/2-game game over the Royals in the AL Wild Card standings.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2025
-
Republicans, who hold a 53-47 majority, face united Democratic opposition − and the defection of at least two of their own members.—
Olivia Munson,
USA Today,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
An aside: phosphorylation is when a tiny chemical group called a phosphate is added to a protein, such as tau, which is like adding a switch to change how the protein behaves.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 June 2025
-
Yet, but Buyers Are Gaining Power For Hale, the recent shifts in the U.S. housing market signals that the country is moving in favor of buyers—and under certain aspects is already behaving more like a buyer's market than a seller's one.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
Verb
-
Just think about where your luggage has been; it gets hauled through airports, goes for a ride on a conveyor belt, rolls across dusty parking lots, is stashed into overhead bins, and is often handled by multiple people with no guarantee of clean hands.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 June 2025
-
Those were frugal, pragmatic solutions; every stone that could be reused was another one that didn’t have to be quarried, cut, hauled, and placed.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share