shoulders

verb

present tense third-person singular of shoulder
1
as in assumes
to take to or upon oneself agreed to shoulder the burden of caring for their elderly father

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pushes
to force one's way shouldered through the crowd at the bar and ordered a drink

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 shoulders Mary Amiti, Sebastian Heise and David Weinstein looked at who shoulders the cost of the tariffs, examining which part of the tariff reaches consumers through higher prices versus which share of the price hike is due to other factors. — Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 4 Sep. 2026 Elordi nearly shoulders the running time but plays his Hig a bit too humbly. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 There are also fears the plan may spark a lawsuit as tensions between the states over who shoulders the cuts bubble over. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 Ashley Christopher, an attorney and Howard alumna whose son is a sophomore there, thinks Howard shoulders some blame. — Matt Brown, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026 Maja witnessing her parents’ difficulties, quickly learns Danish and consequently shoulders the responsibility of an adult to support them. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026 In the run-up to the summit, Erdogan described Turkey as a reliable ally that consistently shoulders responsibility on NATO’s southeastern flank and will continue to play a leading role in the alliance. — ABC News, 1 July 2026 The least productive line of the four against Minnesota was the second unit, but that trio also shoulders significant defensive responsibilities. — Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 20 May 2026 Cunningham shoulders the weight of a city thirsty for meaningful basketball. — Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoulders
  1. assumes
  2. pushes
  3. accepts
  4. elbows
  5. bears
  6. squeezes
  7. muscles
Verb
  • But much of the deleveraging framework, Condon acknowledged, assumes the underlying businesses continue to perform largely in line with their pre-transaction trajectories, making execution incredibly important.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The White House’s claim that truckers will save more than $100 per fill-up assumes states suspend their own diesel taxes as well, which the order encourages but can’t require.
    — Steven John, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of assumes
Verb
  • The figures are averages, and a small number of very big spenders pushes them up.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • If the midterms clear the deck of uncertainty and tech leadership pushes the index to fresh highs, these calls will provide leveraged participation in the ongoing rally.
    — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of pushes
Verb
  • Debounce delay is the time between when a key on a mechanical keyboard is pressed and when the keyboard accepts the keypress as an input.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Put another way, roughly two employees are weighing an exit for every one who accepts a job at a company.
    — Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of accepts
Verb
  • Where the Cayenne’s steering is calibrated so that the road nudges the driver, Bentley’s elbows back at those perturbances.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Montana props himself up on a utility stool for our interview, elbows on a wood table, while holding his phone in his hand.
    — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 30 July 2026
Definition of elbows
Verb
  • The ongoing heat wave across the Golden State bears little resemblance to weather that reminds people of pumpkin spice and fall leaves, at least for now.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The house that bears his name has long demonstrated an equally discerning eye for colored gemstones.
    — Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of bears
Verb
  • That wrestling match itself, however, makes for compelling theater about as often as the camel squeezes through the needle.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The jobs market has been resilient even as stubbornly high inflation squeezes businesses and households.
    — Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of squeezes
Verb
  • Which muscles the farmer’s walk targets The move works nearly the entire body, but leg muscles, the core and shoulder muscles carry most of the load.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • One year later, the XFL muscles its way onto the national sports scene with its first two games.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Definition of muscles

Phrases Containing shoulders

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shouldering
shoulders
shout
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Cite this Entry

“Shoulders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoulders. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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