bear 1 of 2

verb

ˈber How to pronounce bear (audio)
Definition of bearnext
1
as in to have
to bring forth from the womb luckily, she turned out to be able to bear children after all

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stand
to put up with (something painful or difficult) I can't bear the thought of losing another loved one

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to relate
to have a relation or connection I just found another fact that bears on this issue

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4
as in to head
to go on a specified course or in a certain direction the road bears left after the second traffic light

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5
as in to carry
to hold up or serve as a foundation for the wooden bridge will only bear one truck at a time

Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to hold
to keep in one's mind or heart I'm not one to bear grudges

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to behave
to manage the actions of (oneself) in a particular way she bore herself well in her first public speaking event

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in to haul
to support and take from one place to another the rescue team came bearing much-needed food and supplies

Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in to assume
to take to or upon oneself I bear some responsibility for the mishap

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
10
as in to pack
to wear or have on one's person the right to bear arms

Synonyms & Similar Words
11
as in to lead
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction the path will bear north after that marked tree

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12
as in to need
to have as a requirement the violence in that country bears watching if the world wants to avoid a serious international conflict

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
13
as in to contain
to have within gold-bearing ore

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14
as in to be
to occupy a place or location a hot, humid air mass is now bearing just south of the Gulf Coast

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15
as in to yield
to produce as revenue an interest-bearing savings account

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bear

2 of 2

noun

ˈber How to pronounce bear (audio)
1
as in headache
a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work the upcoming kitchen renovation sounds like a real bear

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crab
an irritable and complaining person you've been a real bear lately—are you having a bad week?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb bear differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of bear are abide, endure, stand, suffer, and tolerate. While all these words mean "to put up with something trying or painful," bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking.

forced to bear a tragic loss

In what contexts can abide take the place of bear?

While the synonyms abide and bear are close in meaning, abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest.

cannot abide their rudeness

When might endure be a better fit than bear?

While in some cases nearly identical to bear, endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties.

endured years of rejection

Where would stand be a reasonable alternative to bear?

In some situations, the words stand and bear are roughly equivalent. However, stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching.

unable to stand teasing

When is suffer a more appropriate choice than bear?

The words suffer and bear are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing.

suffering many insults

When can tolerate be used instead of bear?

Although the words tolerate and bear have much in common, tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful.

refused to tolerate such treatment

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bear
Verb
As a result, Zinn couldn’t bear doubling their stress load, both by his being in harm’s way and their taking a financial hit by losing his dependable shipyard check. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026 The Urbano Latino musician Feid, born in Medellín, has been reaching out to his more than 14 million Instagram followers this week to support aid groups there. — ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
The concept mirrors the popular Fat Bear Week, in which photos of bears go head to head in a bracket-style competition where people judge what bear has gained the most mass ahead of hibernation. — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026 Cat stands down bear in viral video A TikTok video shared by @statbeauty_michelle going viral online shows a regular cat standing down a black bear. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bear
  1. have
  2. stand
  3. relate
  4. head
  5. carry
  6. hold
  7. behave
  8. haul
Verb
  • The bedroom is on floor one, the first door on the right (that door, by the way, has three peepholes carved seemingly at random), and is bedecked in reddish wood.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Nixon surrendered 50 receptions in coverage and had 72 tackles (58 solos).
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of have
Verb
  • Villa’s recent warm-up defeat to Bayern Munich, though a 2-1 loss, will have offered a useful gauge of what facing elite opposition demands and should stand them in good stead for the level of intensity this game in Salzburg will require.
    — Dean Jones, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Amid tight security, Najib stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge read the sentence.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of stand
Verb
  • Fire officials said the fire appeared to be cooking-related, and investigators are still determining what caused it.
    — Jose Fabian, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Plenty among us, as our country commits atrocities across the globe, might relate.
    — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of relate
Verb
  • McCoy was held out from the majority of OTAs and all of mandatory minicamp under team supervision, which head coach Klint Kubiak said is being led by wellness coordinator Alex Guerrero.
    — Sam Warren, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But there is a new wave of dining headed toward the neighborhood, with several restaurant openings announced by the teams behind other popular Atlanta ventures like Joystick Gamebar and Little Bear.
    — Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of head
Verb
  • Ultimately, though, the highlight is grabbing a glass of local wine at the lobby bar, carrying it to any one of the viewpoints on the massive lawn, and watching sunset over the silent sound, feeling like everything the light touches is yours.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In Cali, a woman was pulled from under a mountain of rubble on Tuesday to cheers as firemen carried her out on a stretcher following a complex, multinational rescue operation.
    — Rocio Munoz, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of carry
Verb
  • Around Nu Stadium, fans held messages and signs of support for Messi as well.
    — Avi Creditor, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026
  • For years, Modi, a balding man of small stature, has held an outsized presence in the imagination of the Indian public.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of hold
Verb
  • Driscoll and others involved in the mission worried that something far less dramatic could derail it, such as an accidental weapon discharge, an isolated confrontation with a protester or a guardsman caught on camera behaving poorly.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • This is a mass disabling event, concentrated in working-age people and skewed female, behaving exactly as post-viral illness always has.
    — Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of behave
Verb
  • The cyclist was given water and time to rehydrate before those rescuers hauled that rider and broken bicycle downhill into Palisade.
    — Logan Smith, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The food waste is sprayed with bleach, deodorizer and water before it’s covered and hauled to a landfill in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles.
    — Celina Tebor, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of haul

Phrases Containing bear

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beans
bear
bearable
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Cite this Entry

“Bear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bear

Nglish: Translation of bear for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bear

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