as in weighing (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
bearing down on
2 of 2phrase
as in highlighting
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 bearing (down on)
Verb
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The most pressing matter had to do with the health of starting quarterback Bryce Young, who exited the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury and didn’t return thereafter.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Oct. 2025 -
Isak was one of five Liverpool players tasked with occupying defenders across the opposition back five, while Ryan Gravenberch — constantly looking to receive the ball between United’s pressing centre-forwards, turning, and driving into midfield — was the main supplier.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In response, the footage shows, agents yanked his brother to the ground, shoving his face into wet concrete.—
Nicole Foy,
ProPublica,
18 Oct. 2025
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That was Wilson, the genial leather-breeches maker, shoving a soldier to his knees.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Within the first four minutes, there was a classic example of Dortmund compressing the pitch immediately to win the ball back, losing it, and then winning it again through Gundogan’s relentless running.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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Its work focuses on compressing large language platforms, or LLMs, and creating smaller models, in the belief that most consumers and business customers can do just fine with lower-powered but thoughtfully designed AI that needs less power and fewer chips to run.—
Vivienne Walt,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Bearing (down on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bearing%20%28down%20on%29. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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