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
Synonyms
- depress
- press
- shove
- weigh (on or upon)
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Place another towel on top of the pillow, and bear down to squeeze out more water. 
Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2022 Namely, his sinker continues to bear down on right-handed hitters, allowing his four-seam fastball to play up even to an even greater level. Curt Hogg, Journal Sentinel, 23 July 2022 As the dog days of summer bear down on Carroll County, a familiar afternoon bustle can be seen along Washington Road in Westminster, as families share ice cream and shakes outside of Hoffman’s Home Made Ice Cream & Deli. Dylan Slagle, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2022 As the dog days of summer bear down on Carroll County, a familiar afternoon bustle can be seen along Washington Road in Westminster, as families share ice cream and shakes outside of Hoffman’s Home Made Ice Cream & Deli. Dylan Slagle, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2022 As the dog days of summer bear down on Carroll County, a familiar afternoon bustle can be seen along Washington Road in Westminster, as families share ice cream and shakes outside of Hoffman’s Home Made Ice Cream & Deli. Dylan Slagle, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2022 The wildlife agency has put up large container-sized traps in the area and intend to put the bear down after it's captured. Alex Sundby, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2022 As the dog days of summer bear down on Carroll County, a familiar afternoon bustle can be seen along Washington Road in Westminster, as families share ice cream and shakes outside of Hoffman’s Home Made Ice Cream & Deli. Dylan Slagle, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2022 At the end of November, Jerome Powell, the Fed chair, signalled that the central bank was preparing to bear down on inflation, which had risen to a thirty-one-year high of 6.2 per cent. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 14 May 2022 See More
Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2022 Namely, his sinker continues to bear down on right-handed hitters, allowing his four-seam fastball to play up even to an even greater level. Curt Hogg, Journal Sentinel, 23 July 2022 As the dog days of summer bear down on Carroll County, a familiar afternoon bustle can be seen along Washington Road in Westminster, as families share ice cream and shakes outside of Hoffman’s Home Made Ice Cream & Deli. Dylan Slagle, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2022 As the dog days of summer bear down on Carroll County, a familiar afternoon bustle can be seen along Washington Road in Westminster, as families share ice cream and shakes outside of Hoffman’s Home Made Ice Cream & Deli. Dylan Slagle, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2022 As the dog days of summer bear down on Carroll County, a familiar afternoon bustle can be seen along Washington Road in Westminster, as families share ice cream and shakes outside of Hoffman’s Home Made Ice Cream & Deli. Dylan Slagle, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2022 The wildlife agency has put up large container-sized traps in the area and intend to put the bear down after it's captured. Alex Sundby, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2022 As the dog days of summer bear down on Carroll County, a familiar afternoon bustle can be seen along Washington Road in Westminster, as families share ice cream and shakes outside of Hoffman’s Home Made Ice Cream & Deli. Dylan Slagle, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2022 At the end of November, Jerome Powell, the Fed chair, signalled that the central bank was preparing to bear down on inflation, which had risen to a thirty-one-year high of 6.2 per cent. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 14 May 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
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