1
as in accepting
to take to or upon oneself
agreed to shoulder the burden of caring for their elderly father
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Recent Examples of shouldering
Regardless of who is playing quarterback come September, the Vikings need the run game to prevent the quarterback from shouldering too much of the load.
—
Alec Lewis, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Yet few took advantage of them, and, in fact, many Amerco workers seemed to gravitate toward shouldering ever more work.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Alex Bregman went 2 for 3 with an RBI on a sacrifice fly after shouldering the blame Sunday for Chicago's offensive woes.
—CBS News, 9 June 2026
Five or six men in dark trousers, with untucked shirts and loose jackets, hands in their pockets, shouldering off the wall and cutting slowly across the street, angling into the women’s path.
—Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
But shouldering a wobbly, expensive summer tentpole is a risk — just ask Sam Worthington or Taylor Kitsch.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Russell Westbrook was a chaotic but dynamic player in 2024-25, shouldering a high usage rate and playing a huge part in Denver’s first-round playoff series against the Clippers.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Trump’s social media announcement raises more uncertainty for European allies that have been blindsided by the changes as the administration has complained about NATO members not shouldering enough of the burden of their own defense and failing to do more to support the Iran war.
—Matthew Lee, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
The sandwich generation has been shouldering a heavy financial burden for far too long.
—Mary Moreland, Fortune, 17 May 2026
Alec Lewis, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Yet few took advantage of them, and, in fact, many Amerco workers seemed to gravitate toward shouldering ever more work.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Alex Bregman went 2 for 3 with an RBI on a sacrifice fly after shouldering the blame Sunday for Chicago's offensive woes.
—CBS News, 9 June 2026
Five or six men in dark trousers, with untucked shirts and loose jackets, hands in their pockets, shouldering off the wall and cutting slowly across the street, angling into the women’s path.
—Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
But shouldering a wobbly, expensive summer tentpole is a risk — just ask Sam Worthington or Taylor Kitsch.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Russell Westbrook was a chaotic but dynamic player in 2024-25, shouldering a high usage rate and playing a huge part in Denver’s first-round playoff series against the Clippers.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
Trump’s social media announcement raises more uncertainty for European allies that have been blindsided by the changes as the administration has complained about NATO members not shouldering enough of the burden of their own defense and failing to do more to support the Iran war.
—Matthew Lee, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
The sandwich generation has been shouldering a heavy financial burden for far too long.
—Mary Moreland, Fortune, 17 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shouldering
Verb
-
The executive is no longer simply accepting part of a compensation package.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
-
That means engaging in deliberate experimentation, accepting some trial and error around service delivery, pricing, workflows, and talent models.—
Rachel Proffitt,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
Verb
-
Incumbents have run on the perception that the transplants who have moved into working-class neighborhoods are pushing residents out while imposing their politics on more moderate communities of color.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
-
Late-stage trial results from Cosmo Pharmaceuticals, Pelage Pharmaceuticals and Veradermics are now pushing new options toward pharmacy shelves, with one program already pursuing parallel approval in the United States and Europe.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
22 June 2026
Verb
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People also tend to confuse fragrance intensity with cleanliness, assuming a strong smell means a deeper clean.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
23 June 2026
-
Investors will take riskier positions, assuming the central bank will save them from their own mistakes.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Verb
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County officials pointed to state budget cuts and a $276,000 drop in liquor revenue as factors squeezing finances.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
18 June 2026
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Grip the handles on the sides of the machine, tighten your core, and extend your legs, squeezing your quadriceps (top thigh muscles) at the top.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Muscle growth also relies on appropriate time under tension (strength training, bodyweight training, and load-bearing exercise), along with adequate rest and sufficient nutrient intake.—
Morgan Fargo,
Vogue,
23 June 2026
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Vasquez allegedly drove away from the scene in a silver Honda Civic bearing California license plates, KTNV reported.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
23 June 2026
Verb
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An Arizona startup, Katalyst Space Technologies, is undertaking a daring mission to save NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
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This flexibility could allow navies to rapidly expand their defensive capabilities without undertaking expensive modernization programs.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shouldering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shouldering. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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