bear (down on) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of bear (down on)next
as in to weigh (on or upon)
to push steadily against with some force you need to bear down on that cap a bit to get it to latch tightly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

bear down on

2 of 2

phrase

as in highlight
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on Our manager bore down on the need to meet upcoming deadlines.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bear (down on)
  1. press
  2. shove
  3. compress
Verb
  • The extraordinary order capped off another day of chaos in Missouri’s redistricting fight as Republicans attempted to press forward with a gerrymandered congressional map that carves up Kansas City.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2026
  • When the refill is retracted, the Telegraph Key can also be pressed repeatedly, turning the mechanism into a satisfying tactile interaction even when the pen is not being used for writing.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of press
Verb
  • There’s a magic to her game that can’t be shoved into a rigid structure.
    — Eden Laase, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • To promote the new club, Good Good shared an advertisement in which co-founder Garrett Clark shoved a female member of the brand to the ground.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of shove
Verb
  • Anything that compresses those two changes cash flow far more than another domestic instant-payment scheme.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • This glacier is thousands of years old, our driver explains, formed from layer after layer of snow compressing into ice.
    — Uma Raja, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of compress
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.

Browse Nearby Words

bear (down)
bear (down on)
bear down on
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bear (down on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear%20%28down%20on%29. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shofar

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All