1
as in load
a mass or quantity of something taken up and carried, conveyed, or transported
the early settlers often used horses to carry their burdens
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in responsibility
something one must do because of prior agreement
the burden of homework prevented the youngster from joining his friends at the game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to load
to place a weight or burden on
burdened the dog with a little backpack
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to trouble
to make sad
refuses to let everyday problems burden her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burden
Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Public and union support during the shutdown has been vital to easing some of the financial and emotional burden for TSA workers, as airports coordinate gift card drives for gas and groceries, food pantries and other donations.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
And year after year, NYU has routinely been ranked with the dubious distinction of burdening its graduates with more debt than any other university in the United States.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burden
Noun
Caregivers — spouses, children and loved ones — are often the unsung heroes who manage care while carrying their own emotional and physical burdens.
—Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Public and union support during the shutdown has been vital to easing some of the financial and emotional burden for TSA workers, as airports coordinate gift card drives for gas and groceries, food pantries and other donations.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
There is room for reasonable discussion about how to implement verification without burdening eligible voters.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026
And year after year, NYU has routinely been ranked with the dubious distinction of burdening its graduates with more debt than any other university in the United States.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burden
Verb
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In their second trips to the plate in the fourth inning, Caglianone singled, Collins was hit by a pitch, and Isbel bunted for a single to load the bases.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
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Ripa had a brutally honest response locked and loaded.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The fertilizer shortage is putting the livelihood of farmers in developing countries — already troubled by rising temperatures and erratic weather systems — further at risk, and could lead to people everywhere paying more for food.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Understanding this cold-sensing protein could one day lead to better therapies for cold hypersensitivity that often troubles people undergoing certain types of cancer chemotherapies.—
Jacek Krywko,
Scientific American,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Many companies tie these adjustments to surging oil prices, with the blockage of the key Strait of Hormuz passageway depressing supply.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
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But that message carries a weird, even depressing undertone.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hernandez said he was encouraged by recent meetings with Republican members of Congress from his home state, Florida, but worries other priorities will drown out the bill, as has happened in the past.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Ajmera said her neighbors worry the center could impact their water bills or introduce loud humming noises to the largely residential area.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If the novel concerned only these elements—the clash of cultures in a small town, the thrill of the landscape beyond it—readers would still turn the last page with a fruitful, even nourishing, sense of disorientation.—
Stephanie Burt,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
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Issues concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to any principles of conflict of laws.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Much of progressive ideological frameworks tend to divide the world into oppressors and oppressed.—
Arie Perliger,
The Conversation,
18 Mar. 2026
-
For 47 years, Iranians have been subject to a regime that seeks to divide them, isolate them, oppress them, torture them and dispose of them.—
Talla Mountjoy,
Twin Cities,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Shorter wigs inherently allow for more voluminous hair with minimal shedding, as the strands do not hang long enough to be weighed down by tension, and this wig was no exception.—
Noel Cymone Walker,
StyleCaster,
1 Apr. 2026
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Traffic is generally down at fast-food restaurants and prices are soaring, frustrating consumers and weighing down sales.—
St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Voters are also distressed by the decline in their quality of life, as well as the country’s muddled political landscape – a fact indicated by the twenty candidates for president alone.—
Djenane Villanueva,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
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Ecru denim also made an appearance, baggy and distressed for a grittier winter look.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burden. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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