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 fiscally moderate governor has been pressing unions to roll back some of the flexible work-from-home rules established during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
13 Jan. 2026 -
When the opponent has the ball and Atlanta United is pressing, Almirón and Miranchuk’s roles will depend on whether the team is marking man-to-man or defending zones.—
Doug Roberson,
AJC.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Video showed officers in riot gear pushing forward as agitators crowded the street, leading to shoving and jostling during the nighttime confrontation.—
Michael Dorgan , Alexandra Koch , Bill Melugin , Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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Lining up offsides or jumping before the snap or shoving someone who’s already out of bounds or pulling off someone’s helmet.—
Kevin Sherrington,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Outside the dome, a series of machines connected by undulating pipes moves the CO2 out of the dome for compressing and condensing.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
21 Dec. 2025
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Always, understanding comes from pinpointing the relevant factors and forgetting the rest, from compressing nature’s endless intricacies into a human-readable story about the universe.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
17 Dec. 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 15 Jan. 2026.
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