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
-
Last week, Kyle spent a day test driving the newish Bolt and pressing the Chevrolet team for answers on the bizarre and basically unprecedented move to bring an old car back into the production because people got mad.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
12 Mar. 2026 -
Months after the last of the United States’ 1-cent coins were pressed, some states are beginning to offer their own 2 cents on the penny problem by setting rounding guidance for cash purchases.—
HANNAH FINGERHUT,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The singer then broke down in hysterical laughter, falling onto the table in front of her and shoving her microphone away.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Johnson then gripped the child by the neck and shoved a bottle repeatedly in and out of the baby’s mouth.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But moments like this often compress complexity into a single narrative.—
Milan Shetti,
Fortune,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Because tight coils shrink and compress, density changes may be harder to notice at first.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 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 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
