bears (down on) 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bear (down on)
as in shoves
to push steadily against with some force you need to bear down on that cap a bit to get it to latch tightly

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bears down on

2 of 2

phrase

present tense third-person singular of bear down on
as in highlights
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on Our manager bore down on the need to meet upcoming deadlines.

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bears (down on)
  1. shoves
  2. presses
  3. compresses
Verb
  • The video shows Ron Thompson appear to swing at Thompson, and Stephanie Daniels shoves her.
    — Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 9 July 2026
  • Here in the famous Festival Theatre, the sprite Ariel, played in splendidly sprightly fashion by Marissa Orjalo, opens up the top of a piano, a piece of island flotsam and Prospero, in the form of the veteran actor Geraint Wyn Davies, shoves his coat inside, throws up his hands and closes the lid.
    — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026
Definition of shoves
Verb
  • Again, Nathan has no good explanation for this disorganization when Sandy presses him.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of relying on cameras, force sensors, or advanced software, the robot simply presses the soft bag against an object and removes the air using a vacuum pump, reports Techeblog.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 29 July 2026
Definition of presses
Verb
  • This is the step where the barista compresses the ground coffee within the portafilter to create a dense puck.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2026
  • An in-house leader who has owned the function throughout the hold period maintains the documentation, positions and compliance history that compresses the diligence timeline and protects valuation.
    — Shawn Cole, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of compresses
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.

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bears (down)
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Cite this Entry

“Bears (down on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bears%20%28down%20on%29. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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