1
as in assumed
to take to or upon oneself
agreed to shoulder the burden of caring for their elderly father
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Recent Examples of shouldered
One exception was best actress co-recipient Kawase Naomi, who appeared bare-shouldered in a dramatic red-and-black gown, a choice perhaps influenced by her many appearances as a director at Cannes, where glamor is a given.
—
Mark Schilling, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Reave has shouldered a ton of responsibilities for the Lakers this season, starting it without their superstar forward, LeBron James.
—Ricardo Sandoval, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Daniels shouldered responsibility for the loss postgame.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2025
Frankly, the Timberwolves clutch-time offense hasn’t been good at any point during the Chris Finch-Anthony Edwards era, and the star guard has deservedly shouldered plenty of the blame.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
My sister had shouldered the heavy burden of caring for our mother in her final years, after which she was left with nearly all of our mother’s remaining belongings that had been left in her home.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey shouldered the team’s offensive output in the win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Maiava, who’s typically reserved, shouldered some of the blame after completing just 52% of his passes and throwing a season-high two interceptions.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025
Together, Guerrero and Bichette shouldered the Blue Jays through a rebuild.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Mark Schilling, Variety, 5 Nov. 2025
Reave has shouldered a ton of responsibilities for the Lakers this season, starting it without their superstar forward, LeBron James.
—Ricardo Sandoval, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Daniels shouldered responsibility for the loss postgame.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2025
Frankly, the Timberwolves clutch-time offense hasn’t been good at any point during the Chris Finch-Anthony Edwards era, and the star guard has deservedly shouldered plenty of the blame.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025
My sister had shouldered the heavy burden of caring for our mother in her final years, after which she was left with nearly all of our mother’s remaining belongings that had been left in her home.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey shouldered the team’s offensive output in the win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Maiava, who’s typically reserved, shouldered some of the blame after completing just 52% of his passes and throwing a season-high two interceptions.
—Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 19 Oct. 2025
Together, Guerrero and Bichette shouldered the Blue Jays through a rebuild.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shouldered
Verb
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More recently, Jair Bolsonaro, the right-wing populist who assumed office in 2019, got along famously with the similarly minded Trump during the last two years of the American president’s first term.—
Ron Kampeas,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Nov. 2025
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When preparing to host Thanksgiving, it's assumed that hand towels are going to be a necessity in both the kitchen, powder room, and guest bathrooms.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Mussolini’s invasion of Abyssinia in 1935 and subsequent need for military support from Germany pushed Italy into a closer alliance with Hitler that, in turn, led to the imposition of anti-Jewish legislation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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Offered only via the David’s Bridal site, the archival White by Vera Wang archival collection is being pushed out to shoppers via the retailer’s social media, site and email newsletters among other avenues.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Later in the shift, Lohrei joined the rush and accepted a pass from Morgan Geekie in the neutral zone.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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She got accepted for one, but then the sellers backed out.—
Celia Fernandez,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But there's also concern that these programs, some funded by private donations and not used to such demand, will be financially squeezed.—
Lily Altavena,
Freep.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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George Matysik, executive director of Share Food Program, a Philadelphia food bank, told USA TODAY that food banks are already squeezed by federal funding cuts.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But considering the Ambriz siblings undertook such an elaborate story involving supernatural puppets and a fantastical land, presumably for a fraction of the cost, the result is major step forward for the medium, and in particular this technique in Mexico.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
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In 1993, President Bill Clinton undertook a restoration and refurbishment of the Executive Mansion.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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His certainly-not-boring tale mortified numerous colleagues, including Crick, who even tried to block the book's publication.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
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This solid colored wool rug was the perfect neutral-but-not-boring option to balance out the space between visuals editor Lizzie Soufleris’ living room and dining area.—
Audrey Lee,
Architectural Digest,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shouldered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shouldered. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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