1
as in assumes
to take to or upon oneself
agreed to shoulder the burden of caring for their elderly father
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Recent Examples of shoulders
Charismatic and charming as ever, Gosling easily shoulders the job of being the only human onscreen for an epoch.
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
There is great skepticism about Ellison’s ability to make the high-wire act work while Paramount Skydance shoulders a mountain of debt supplied by a consortium that includes Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Teams feel uncertainty at the top, momentum slows, and the CEO quietly shoulders more stress, not less.
—Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Buckley shoulders intense on-screen distress without losing grasp of her character’s humanity, and Mescal lets his wan charm melt into something more haunted as Shakespeare ages and wrestles with loss.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2025
Atop that sits the conundrum of living in a city so small that every citizen shoulders the stress of celebrity.
—Literary Hub, 26 Nov. 2025
The Arabic word sirāt can refer to, among other things, the razor-thin bridge that leads, over the chasm of Hell, to paradise—a heavy burden of eschatological significance, but the film shoulders it lightly.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2025
Both cases are apt to serve as models for how to prevent the kind of school shootings still plaguing the nation and could set legal precedent for who shoulders the blame when children have access to guns and open fire on campus.
—Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
Glenn shoulders the blame for that, especially in light of some questionable decision-making during the loss to the Broncos.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
There is great skepticism about Ellison’s ability to make the high-wire act work while Paramount Skydance shoulders a mountain of debt supplied by a consortium that includes Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Teams feel uncertainty at the top, momentum slows, and the CEO quietly shoulders more stress, not less.
—Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Buckley shoulders intense on-screen distress without losing grasp of her character’s humanity, and Mescal lets his wan charm melt into something more haunted as Shakespeare ages and wrestles with loss.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2025
Atop that sits the conundrum of living in a city so small that every citizen shoulders the stress of celebrity.
—Literary Hub, 26 Nov. 2025
The Arabic word sirāt can refer to, among other things, the razor-thin bridge that leads, over the chasm of Hell, to paradise—a heavy burden of eschatological significance, but the film shoulders it lightly.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2025
Both cases are apt to serve as models for how to prevent the kind of school shootings still plaguing the nation and could set legal precedent for who shoulders the blame when children have access to guns and open fire on campus.
—Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
Glenn shoulders the blame for that, especially in light of some questionable decision-making during the loss to the Broncos.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoulders
Verb
-
Of course, that assumes there are any businesses left in California.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The older consensus assumes Washington would still try to stabilize the situation—escort shipping, surge regional forces, send warnings, hold back from hitting the mainland.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As Jason’s obsession with the Box deepens, Daniela’s (Connelly) growing paranoia pushes her to the brink, threatening to tear their fragile stability apart.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Goldhaber, meanwhile, pushes back on the idea that violent imagery is inherently harmful.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The facility currently only accepts trash from municipalities, not individual residents.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
1 Apr. 2026
-
For those who are not able to give instruments, the conservatory accepts monetary donations to its instrument repair fund.—
Anya Sesay,
jsonline.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Before the Bride elbows her way into his life, Frank, ever so lonely, retreats into the world of movies.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Chase Infiniti elbows into leading actress race Leave it to BAFTA voters to give a shout out one of the year’s biggest breakouts.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Helen and Jacob Shaham donated $15 million, and the Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute now bears their name.—
Najahe Sherman,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
On a sentimental note, the Chloe Hall building bears the name of their honorary assistant and beloved dog, Chloe, who had roamed the property and greeted visitors for over 14 years.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Carpenter wears a men’s suit jacket and squeezes Cline’s butt, and the girls kiss their own reflections.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The pencil-thin DQ Tower squeezes a full home into a very slender footprint, while the EONE XL takes a wider prefab approach to the same basic challenge.—
Stefan Ionescu
March 30,
New Atlas,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
One year later, the XFL muscles its way onto the national sports scene with its first two games.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Gringo Films does not sound like the kind of company that muscles its way into the global animation business.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shoulders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoulders. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
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