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 2phrase
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)
Verb
-
Republicans have long wanted to press the Clintons for answers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026 -
The family of Fahimeh Ajam, 29, who was killed while protesting in Azadshahr in the northeastern Golestan province, also described threats from officials, religious leaders and security forces pressing them to blame her death on terrorists rather than state forces.—
Jomana Karadsheh,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Who among us hasn't left butter out on the counter for toast, bought it in bulk on sale, or shoved a stick to the back of the fridge and forgotten about it?—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Denver's bench was called for a technical in the third quarter, and there was plenty of trash talking and shoving throughout.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The shortest runways in the world make landing the journey’s most dramatic moment, where cliffs, gradients, tides and mountains compress aviation into a test of pure precision.—
Karina Acharya,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Researchers have discovered that packed rice grains change their strength depending on how fast they are compressed.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Feb. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Bear (down on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear%20%28down%20on%29. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
