bear (down on) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of bear (down on)next
as in to weigh (on or upon)
to push steadily against with some force you need to bear down on that cap a bit to get it to latch tightly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

bear down on

2 of 2

phrase

as in highlight
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on Our manager bore down on the need to meet upcoming deadlines.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bear (down on)
  1. press
  2. shove
  3. compress
Verb
  • Al Solove, chair of Indivisible ATL and a member of the DeFrost Home Depot leadership team, said the coalition is specifically pressing Home Depot to end its relationship with Flock Safety.
    — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • After pressing the shutter button, the AI kicked in to select the best shots from the recording, with many featuring the subject in majestic poses.
    — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of press
Verb
  • Numia prevented an early Bulls lineout maul try then the All Blacks shoved the Bulls' five-meter attacking scrum backwards.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • In essence, catapults shove jets from stationary positions to takeoff speeds over a very short distance.
    — Stephen J. Beard, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of shove
Verb
  • My salary has been compressed by decades of raises well below inflation and stagnant institutional pay scales.
    — Francisco Ruiz, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Pushing on or leaning against something that compresses the belly may increase the discomfort.
    — Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of compress
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.

Browse Nearby Words

bear (down)
bear (down on)
bear down on
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bear (down on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear%20%28down%20on%29. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of prowess

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All