bear down

verb

bore down; borne down also born down; bearing down; bears down

transitive verb

: overcome, overwhelm

intransitive verb

: to exert full strength and concentrated attention

see also:

bear down on

Synonyms of bear down

• weigh (on or upon)
• press
• shove
• compress

Examples of bear down in a Sentence

you need to bear down on that cap a bit to get it to latch tightly

Recent Examples on the Web

In the late 1800s and the 1900s, as the forces of conformity and anonymity bore down on urban life, Thornton said everyday people began adding flair to their own signatures, too. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026

The Kelvin wave bearing down on Southern California this week is not the kind that draws surfers. — Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

As China ages, the social pressures bearing down on its political system will only intensify. — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

Water began to flood the streets of Baja California Sur on Monday hours after residents boarded up homes and set up embankments as Hurricane Polo bore down on the peninsula Monday, threatening high winds, floods and mudslides. — Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for bear down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

bear down

verb

1

: overwhelm, overcome

2

: to press or weigh down

3

: to make an all-out effort

4

: to weigh heavily on : burden

Medical Definition

bear down

intransitive verb

(ˈ)ba(ə)r-ˈdau̇n, (ˈ)be(ə)r- 

: to contract the abdominal muscles and the diaphragm during childbirth