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
  • Elena buys Alice’s line and presses the call button on her phone.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
  • For nearly all of those projects, Singh presses Norwich’s legislative delegation to help nab state grants.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of presses
Verb
  • Indeed, the Lorentz contraction compresses a moving object, although the contraction does not appear in a snapshot of the object.
    — Aaron Shattuck, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Pushing on or leaning against something that compresses the belly may increase the discomfort.
    — Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 14 Aug. 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 25 Aug. 2026.

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