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

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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
  • With England getting more and more defensive, the Argentines were able to press further into the attacking half in search of a goal.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • The French back line hesitated for a brief second, anticipating a potential foul, but Porro pressed the advantage and side-footed a shot past Mike Maignan in the 58th minute for the backbreaking goal.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Definition of press
Verb
  • What impressed me was that without stanchions to direct the crowd, fans wove back and forth across the field, creating an orderly line without shoving or cutting.
    — Meredith Nierman, NPR, 17 July 2026
  • There, on the first page, a picture of Cronus shoving a baby into his mouth.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
Definition of shove
Verb
  • This swimsuit has built-in shapewear, designed to shape and compress everywhere, with subtle draping at the tummy.
    — Alexandra Malmed, InStyle, 16 July 2026
  • Those pulses create the extreme conditions needed to compress fusion fuel, while also supporting high-energy-density physics experiments used in materials research, radioisotope production and national security.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 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
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Cite this Entry

“Bear (down on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear%20%28down%20on%29. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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