BORE (DOWN ON) Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

bore (down on) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of bore (down on)

past tense of bear (down on)

as in weighed (on or upon)

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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bore down on

2 of 2

phrase

past tense of bear down on

as in highlighted

to indicate the importance of by centering attention on Our manager bore down on the need to meet upcoming deadlines.

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for bore (down on)

Verb

The only men were the mayor, the three members of town council, the priest from the Catholic church, Father Michael, and the reverend from the Baptist church, as well as a man with a balding head and a full moustache, his suit pressed and clean.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
But Iowa later pulled out of the project after electing a Republican governor, while Illinois pressed ahead.

— Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of pressed

Verb

A week after the big score, Chetal's parents were driving in Danbury, Connecticut, when several masked men cut them off, forced them out of their new car, beat Chetal's father with a baseball bat, shoved the couple into a van and bound their hands.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026
A week after the big score, Chetal’s parents were driving in Danbury, Connecticut, when several masked men cut them off, forced them out of their new car, beat Chetal’s father with a baseball bat, shoved the couple into a van and bound their hands.

— Michael Kunzelman, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of shoved

Verb

Development cycles that once took weeks are now compressed into days or even hours.

— Brian Contos, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
The explosion of malice effaces them in different ways, and James traces the mechanisms of their vanishing, examining how a person’s life can be compressed into smaller and smaller spaces.

— Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of compressed

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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“Bore (down on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bore%20%28down%20on%29. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of bore (down on)

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