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bear down
verb
bore down; borne down also born down; bearing down; bears down
: to exert full strength and concentrated attention
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
As the first major winter storm of the season bears down on the Kansas City metro this weekend, the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch in effect from 6 p.m. Saturday through 3 a.m. Monday across north central Missouri.
—Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2025
Herbert escaped the pocket to his left and slung a pass while falling away as defenders bore down.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2024
The next day the locals put together a big search party—and made a lot of attempts to shoot this bear down.
—Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 18 Dec. 2024
The road to Damascus from the Lebanese border is lined with army bases and checkpoints, and a trip on Monday morning hinted at what appeared to be a total collapse in the army’s ranks as opposition fighters with the rebel coalition bore down on the capital.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Time Traveler
The first known use of bear down was
in the 14th century
Articles Related to bear down
Dictionary Entries Near bear down
Cite this Entry
“Bear down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bear%20down. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
Medical Definition
bear down
intransitive verb
: to contract the abdominal muscles and the diaphragm during childbirth
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