bears 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bear
1
as in has
to bring forth from the womb luckily, she turned out to be able to bear children after all

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stands
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 pertains
to have a relation or connection I just found another fact that bears on this issue

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in heads
to go on a specified course or in a certain direction the road bears left after the second traffic light

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in carries
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 holds
to keep in one's mind or heart I'm not one to bear grudges

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in behaves
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 hauls
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 shoulders
to take to or upon oneself I bear some responsibility for the mishap

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
12
as in requires
to have as a requirement the violence in that country bears watching if the world wants to avoid a serious international conflict

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
15
as in yields
to produce as revenue an interest-bearing savings account

Synonyms & Similar Words

bears

2 of 2

noun

plural of bear
1
as in headaches
a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work the upcoming kitchen renovation sounds like a real bear

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 bears
Verb
Dries Van Noten created a luxe velvet tote that bears a striking resemblance to Mary Poppins’ bag (extra-large storage capacity included). — Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 12 Aug. 2026 Yet historical symbols often outlive the contexts in which they were created, and the American alligator bears the imprint of a long racial history. — The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026 Her healing journey involves dating a 20-something trans man (Theo Germaine) and confronting SNL alum Julia Sweeney, whose androgynous character Pat bears a humiliating resemblance to Abby. — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 Although the result bears some resemblance, the two directors employ the graininess for different aesthetic reasons. — Manahil Tahira, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026 While Widow’s Bay is shot with an Alexa 35 camera, the flashback episode was filmed with the Alexa 265, which bears a 65mm format and changes the feel and depth of the image. — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026 But if Washington bears responsibility, so do colleges, and this is the part my own industry too often gets wrong. — Dr. Alan Kadish, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026 Higher borrowing costs are typically a headwind for bullion, which bears no interest. — Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026 There is pressure on all fronts, but not everyone bears the same weight in terms of responsibility and consequence. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
The Auburn Police Department said the bears were seen near Lincoln Way and Russell Road. — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 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 Over the last six years, 265 reports of bears entering homes have been investigated and verified by the state, according to Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026 The fact that the stock market favors the bulls more often than bears is the very premise of the investment industry. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026 Bernstein's bulls see $160; the bears see a cyclical trading shop wearing a platform costume. — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Grizzly bears also top the list in Idaho, Montana and Washington, and bison pose the greatest danger in South Dakota and Wyoming. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 And while Brooks Falls offers a front-row seat to their annual salmon feast, bears turn up throughout the park—digging for clams on windswept beaches, lumbering across open tundra, and prowling the banks of remote rivers. — Bailey Berg, Travel + Leisure, 1 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bears
  1. has
  2. stands
  3. pertains
  4. heads
  5. carries
  6. holds
  7. behaves
  8. hauls
Verb
  • That was a new record and only once before has the number of moves hit double figures.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Thailand has the highest rate of civilian gun ownership in Southeast Asia, with around 15 guns per 100 people.
    — Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of has
Verb
  • Holmes is closing in on 300 career victories and stands at 288-126-1.
    — Todd Holcomb, AJC.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The Smith family have owned it ever since, and in 2006 Maggie turned it into the hotel that stands today.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of stands
Verb
  • That pertains with or without the presence of breast milk, the TSA specifies.
    — Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026
  • There are examples of this sort of thing across college athletics, where players try to avoid paying a buyout that pertains to their previous school.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of pertains
Verb
  • Abdul Rashid Yob, who heads a farmers association representing 200,000 members nationwide, pointed to previous negative experience with the herbicide-tolerant Clearfield rice.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The Senate passed a bipartisan bill to avert a federal government shutdown starting in October, and the measure now heads to the House.
    — Theodoric Meyer, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of heads
Verb
  • Tron alone holds about $89 billion of USDT and carries the longer blacklist.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Hailing from producers Marvel Studios and Amy Pascal, Brand New Day carries a $225 million production budget.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of carries
Verb
  • Chan Gin Kai, founder and CEO of Silver Media Group, said Asia holds some of the richest histories, cultures and mythologies in the world, but many of these stories remain little known outside their home countries.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Craig represents the state's Second Congressional District and holds a significant cash advantage in the race.
    — Aki Nace, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of holds
Verb
  • That's a useful number for any Iowa fleet thinking about downtime, because tires are one of the systems that behaves when the routine holds up.
    — Malana VanTyler, Ascend Agency, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Checking whether someone’s disability behaves identically every day is the most damaging thing a manager can do.
    — Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of behaves
Verb
  • Even if the House hauls the budget resolution forward, Johnson’s strategy faces uncertainty in the Senate.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
  • Having already been booked for a foul on Brobbey, Fofana hauls down Wilson Isidor and earns his club’s eighth red card of the Premier League season.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 24 May 2026
Definition of hauls

Browse Nearby Words

bear out
bears
bears a hand
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bears. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on bears

Nglish: Translation of bears for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All