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 2phrase
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
-
Back in the family’s house, the walking corpse shoves a boy onto the dishwasher, impaling him full of cutlery.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
15 Apr. 2026 -
Frances shoves June at Boy Carteret.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
There, the patriarch, Joseph (Colman Domingo), presses the child Michael (played with admirable musical and dramatic flair by Juliano Valdi) and four of Michael’s older brothers into rehearsal.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Before laboratory panels, before imaging, before algorithms, physicians attempted to understand how the world presses upon a particular body over time.—
Celina Yong,
STAT,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ackerly explains what happens when AI compresses all of that.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The memory foam feels plush yet supportive, and the pillow compresses down to fit easily in a carry-on when not in use.—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Bears (down on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bears%20%28down%20on%29. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
