bears (down)

verb

present tense third-person singular of bear (down)
as in weighs (upon)

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bears (down)
  1. pressures
  2. compresses
  3. squashes
Verb
  • The scrutiny raised questions about what could happen to his Carvana position if fallout from the investigation pressures him to raise cash.
    — Yun Li, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
  • When The Park pressures him to turn against Lamb and his colleagues to pin MI5’s failure on Slough House, Struan ultimately caves.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of pressures
Verb
  • Queues in the major markets run for years, new transmission runs longer, and no amount of capital compresses a utility approval process that was designed for a different century.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Framed as an ensemble drama rather than the story of a single heroic whistleblower, the production compresses Ibsen’s plot, reimagines the ending and leans into satire without sacrificing moral bite.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of compresses
Verb
  • Luckily, this deal squashes that qualm by knocking over $300 from the sticker shocker!
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 6 July 2026
  • Chicken, bacon, and ranch might as well be the holy trio that squashes all fights and satisfies every hangry complaint.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
Definition of squashes
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

bears a hand
bears (down)
bears (down on)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bears (down).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bears%20%28down%29. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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