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
Bublak says that the decision leaves cities shouldering more responsibility with fewer tools.
—
Nina Burns, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
America’s allies in Europe – wary of further Russian aggression, shouldering the burden of backing Ukraine and facing an increasingly hostile world order – have come to the same realization.
—Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
The loss of his 11-year-old son, Jake Casiano, to leukemia also inspired the grief that Matt’s character is shouldering.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Jan. 2026
Even facing arguably golf’s toughest test and shouldering enormous expectations, few would bet against Scheffler.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
In Oklahoma, however, family caregivers are the ones shouldering the burden.
—Ben Fenwick, Oklahoma Watch, 12 Jan. 2026
Months into his career, Flagg is shouldering offense, pinning shots and closing games.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Now, on top of mourning her daughter, Trinidad is shouldering the weight of paying for her funeral.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
States under Republican leadership on average have a higher percentage of uninsured people than do those under Democratic leadership, mirroring the political differences driving the national debate over who is responsible for shouldering the costs of health care.
—Robert Applebaum, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
Nina Burns, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
America’s allies in Europe – wary of further Russian aggression, shouldering the burden of backing Ukraine and facing an increasingly hostile world order – have come to the same realization.
—Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
The loss of his 11-year-old son, Jake Casiano, to leukemia also inspired the grief that Matt’s character is shouldering.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Jan. 2026
Even facing arguably golf’s toughest test and shouldering enormous expectations, few would bet against Scheffler.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
In Oklahoma, however, family caregivers are the ones shouldering the burden.
—Ben Fenwick, Oklahoma Watch, 12 Jan. 2026
Months into his career, Flagg is shouldering offense, pinning shots and closing games.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Now, on top of mourning her daughter, Trinidad is shouldering the weight of paying for her funeral.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
States under Republican leadership on average have a higher percentage of uninsured people than do those under Democratic leadership, mirroring the political differences driving the national debate over who is responsible for shouldering the costs of health care.
—Robert Applebaum, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shouldering
Verb
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The court found Kim guilty of accepting bribes from the controversial religious sect Unification Church, including a Chanel bag and a Graff diamond necklace.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
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Trump, too, downplayed his decision to deploy border czar Tom Homan, who himself is controversial after in 2024 alleging accepting $50,000 in cash from FBI agents pretending to be business executives seeking government, to Minneapolis.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In early 2026, the car brands leading in advanced AI are primarily split between those pushing the boundaries of full autonomous driving like Tesla, and those integrating sophisticated, safe and intuitive AI into the user experience like Mercedes-Benz and BMW.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Lawmakers were pushing a measure, similar to those enacted in Australia and Canada, that would have forced tech giants to pay online publishers for the ransacking, er, use, of their journalistic content.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Shifting the Storytelling Strategy Danielle Krischik, author of The Story Effect, notes that assuming storytelling is just a performance skill is limiting.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
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The biggest mistake investors make is assuming that patience means inactivity.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Fresh spinach requires large quantities and multiple steps—blanching, shocking, and squeezing—just to yield a usable amount.—
Amber Love Bond,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
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The bus ended up completely packed, everyone squeezing together in their parkas like a bunch of marshmallows.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Outside, a man wearing a leather biker vest bearing the insignia of the Latin American Motorcycle Association, his blond beard flecked with ice crystals, directed a line of cars through the snow.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
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Several entered the auditorium wearing black shirts bearing the names of crash victims.—
Gary Fields,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Continuing the discussion of investing in California, Newsom noted that the state is undertaking a substantial number of infrastructure projects, totaling about $109 billion across 28,000 projects.—
Noe Padilla,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
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This year, the city opened its downtown improvement grant program, which provides grants up to $7,500 for downtown commercial property owners and businesses undertaking exterior or interior improvement projects.—
Taylor O'Connor,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shouldering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shouldering. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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