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
-
Inherently, Liverpool’s pressing approach is fine and not unusual.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025 -
Dodge said one of the keys is not pressing, forcing things and allowing the game to come to him.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Just like the band’s original recipe of shoving punk, dub reggae, hip-hop and ska into a blender, the new songs dutifully stick to the formula along with Jakob’s soulful caterwauls that sound scarily similar to his dad.—
Deputy Entertainment,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
Robinson was assessed a flagrant 1 for shoving Wembanyama in the neck late in the first quarter.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
Verb
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The technology can help with due diligence and integration, compressing what was once a long process into one that customers might not notice.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Eventually, doctors discovered the boot had been compressing a nerve in her foot over time, causing a condition known as Morton’s neuroma — a painful buildup of scar tissue around a nerve in the foot.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
27 May 2026
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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 17 Jun. 2026.
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