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
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
Even as Redd shoulders the weight of her past, this new chapter is filled with joy.
—Essence, 6 Oct. 2025
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
Even as Redd shoulders the weight of her past, this new chapter is filled with joy.
—Essence, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoulders
Verb
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That measurement also assumes the buyer has a 20% down payment, which in this case would be $80,060.—
Sarah Agostino,
CNBC,
7 Mar. 2026
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That assumes everything lines up next offseason.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nayara Tented Camp pushes this forward by creating a sanctuary for sloths out of the reforestation of hundreds of native trees, to grow alongside habitats for native frogs, birds, and armadillos.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
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London’s mayor pushes to pedestrianize city London’s mayor pushed ahead with plans to pedestrianize the city’s most famous shopping street, part of a global move toward banning cars from parts of big cities.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Every team accepts at least some and some teams accept a lot.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Hays County Crime Stoppers accepts anonymous tips at 800-324-TIPS (8477).—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
-
Lower gently, elbows out 45 degrees, back flat.—
Gretchen Reynolds,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The character who bears my name has become blurred.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
-
This case bears close similarities to the trials and convictions of James and Jennifer Crumbley, whose then-15-year-old son killed four students in 2021 at his high school in Oxford, Michigan.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Drew Angerer / Getty Images file For months, school officials have floated proposals to relocate or close at least four middle schools on the Upper West Side, citing low enrollment, funding squeezes, academic performance and compliance with a 2022 law requiring class-size reductions by 2028.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
1 Mar. 2026
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While most bullion coins track spot closely, certain products remain in higher demand during supply squeezes or retail rushes.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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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 10 Mar. 2026.
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