bears up

verb

present tense third-person singular of bear up
as in encourages
to fill with courage or strength of purpose repeatedly borne up in times of adversity by his faith

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bears up This annual migration has made nearby Churchill, Manitoba, an ideal destination for thousands of tourists each year who want to witness these bears up close. — Gloria Dickie, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Dec. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bears up
  1. encourages
  2. inspires
Verb
  • Spending time with friends and enjoying activities like golf, fishing, or attending sporting events encourages connection and supports an active lifestyle.
    — Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Boundless San Francisco, which encourages out-of-the-box ideas, echoes the venture capital ethos, Crankstart Chief Executive Officer Missy Narula said.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of encourages
Verb
  • In an interview with NPR, Padeu explained his art — and what inspires him.
    — Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 9 Aug. 2026
  • What terrifies you about this moment and inspires you about this moment?
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of inspires

Browse Nearby Words

bears out
bears up
bears (with)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bears up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bears%20up. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gnomic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All