bear 1 of 2

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as in to carry
to hold up or serve as a foundation for the wooden bridge will only bear one truck at a time

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to haul
to support and take from one place to another the rescue team came bearing much-needed food and supplies

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to pack
to wear or have on one's person the right to bear arms

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to lead
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction the path will bear north after that marked tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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as in to be
to occupy a place or location a hot, humid air mass is now bearing just south of the Gulf Coast

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as in to yield
to produce as revenue an interest-bearing savings account

Synonyms & Similar Words

bear

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb bear differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of bear are abide, endure, stand, suffer, and tolerate. While all these words mean "to put up with something trying or painful," bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking.

forced to bear a tragic loss

In what contexts can abide take the place of bear?

While the synonyms abide and bear are close in meaning, abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest.

cannot abide their rudeness

When might endure be a better fit than bear?

While in some cases nearly identical to bear, endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties.

endured years of rejection

Where would stand be a reasonable alternative to bear?

In some situations, the words stand and bear are roughly equivalent. However, stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching.

unable to stand teasing

When is suffer a more appropriate choice than bear?

The words suffer and bear are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing.

suffering many insults

When can tolerate be used instead of bear?

Although the words tolerate and bear have much in common, tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful.

refused to tolerate such treatment

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
Verb
All were born within 20 months of each other beginning in mid-1969. Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2025 The actor was born with spina bifida, a condition that occurs when a fetus' spine and spinal cord don't close properly early in a pregnancy. Shania Russell, EW.com, 23 July 2025
Noun
Despite much bullish news — including the Pentagon’s plan to invest $400 million to take a majority stake in the company, noted Forbes, and Apple’s $500 million magnet supply and recycling contract with the company, according to Forbes — the bear case is compelling. Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025 Authorities said at the time that only nine injuries from bear attacks had occurred since 2013, and the bear's response was unusually aggressive. Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 16 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for bear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bear
Verb
  • January had the most overtime hours, amounting to 270 hours, according to data provided by the city.
    Maritza Dominguez, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
  • Challenge yourself, meet new people and, most importantly, have fun participating in this race.
    Caroline Ritzie, The Enquirer, 24 July 2025
Verb
  • For comparison, SpaceX's famous two-stage Falcon 9 rocket – one of the world's most active for both human and cargo missions alike – stands at 230 feet tall when fully stacked.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 21 July 2025
  • Trump turned to climb the stairs to Air Force One, and Lutnick stood on the tarmac, wondering where to go next.
    Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 21 July 2025
Verb
  • It is not related in any way to the show's performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.
    Lauren Huff Published, EW.com, 23 July 2025
  • Detroit Police said the three men who were found fatally shot in a west side home on Pinehurst are related.
    Andrea May Sahouri, Freep.com, 23 July 2025
Verb
  • Temperatures will be in the high 90s throughout the week and heading into the weekend.
    Joyce Orlando, The Tennessean, 22 July 2025
  • Sunrise, which is headed by chairman and founder Gerard Guez, will continue to manufacture the apparel.
    Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 21 July 2025
Verb
  • Her election would also carry symbolic weight as Grijalva would be the first Latina to represent Arizona in Congress.
    Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 15 July 2025
  • Prod: Andrés Jaime Santamaría) David Rodríguez, a Colombian police captain, goes undercover in a brutal jail to discover a sect which carries our ritual sacrifices in worship of a supernatural god.
    John Hopewell, Variety, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • And believe it or not, plenty are genuinely comfortable, holding their own against traditional footwear.
    Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 15 July 2025
  • Dreck is intended to highlight that rules are not alone in the regulatory universe, and urge that policymakers recognize and be held to account for the laundering of regulation by non-rule means to influence outcomes or inflict obligations, whether intentional or not.
    Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • How did Tali Shapiro survive? Donald Haines was the bystander who followed Alcala and called the police, unsettled by how Alcala was behaving around Shapiro.
    Jessica Sager, People.com, 24 July 2025
  • How should men behave, and what can our culture do to encourage that behavior?
    Christopher J. Scalia, National Review, 24 July 2025
Verb
  • The Dane hauled his way up the mountain, mouth contorted, back and elbows askew, willing his bike to chase.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 26 July 2025
  • Six hours later, Kim and David watched their prize hauled tail-first to the crossbeam of the scales back at Darenberg’s dock in Montauk.
    Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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