BEARS DOWN ON Synonyms: 64 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bears (down on)

Verb

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
In the video, the officers appear to shout at the man walking near multiple vehicles before a group shoves the man toward the sidewalk.

— Dan Raby, CBS News, 18 June 2026

Definition of shoves

Verb

Argentina controls the ball well and presses hard, but everything in the attack goes through Lionel Messi.

— Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Washington denounces Cuba’s overseas medical missions as exploitative and presses allies to drop them, but Calabria’s governor says losing the doctors would cripple care and vows to keep them.

— Paolo Santalucia, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Definition of presses

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.

Browse Nearby Words

bears (down)

bears (down on)

bears down on

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bears (down on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bears%20%28down%20on%29. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of bears (down on)

verb

phrase

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

bibelot

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes