bear the brunt

Idioms  

1. Put up with the worst of some bad circumstance, as in It was the secretary who had to bear the brunt of the doctor's anger. This idiom uses brunt in the sense of “the main force of an enemy's attack,” which was sustained by the front lines of the defenders. [Second half of 1700s]

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Example Sentences

It forecasts that the NHS will bear the brunt of the financial burden – £200,000 in the first year of the legislation, rising to as much as £342,973 after 20 years.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

“We bear the brunt of everything. This is really a layered tsunami of hurt.”

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

The most immediate danger would be to Iran’s Kurdish population itself, which could bear the brunt of a possible retaliation by Iran’s security forces.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

For the American firms and American consumers who bear the brunt of tariffs, the practical question is simpler: Will U.S. trade policy become stable and predictable, or will it remain an instrument of constant improvisation?

From MarketWatch • Feb. 23, 2026

Now Margot will have to bear the brunt of it.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Related Words

• brave
• encounter
• experience
• face
• feel
• go through
• know
• ride out
• suffer
• sustain
• tolerate
• undergo
• weather
• withstand