bear down

British  

verb

1. to press or weigh down

2. to approach in a determined or threatening manner

3. (of a vessel) to make an approach (to another vessel, obstacle, etc) from windward

4. (of a woman during childbirth) to exert a voluntary muscular pressure to assist delivery

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bear down Idioms  

1. Press or weigh down on someone or something. For example, This pen doesn't write unless you bear down hard on it . [Late 1600s]

2. Try hard, intensify one's efforts, as in If you'll just bear down, you'll pass the test .

3. Move forward in a pressing or threatening way, as in The ferry bore down on our little skiff . This usage was originally nautical. [Early 1700s]

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Example Sentences

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said wages were going up "for the lowest paid" but said the government "must go further to bear down on costs".

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The Treasury said it had taken "action to bear down on inflation and the cost of living".

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

That question matters more than ever as tariffs, surging energy prices and the threat of artificial intelligence bear down on the broader economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

“Just hold on,“ snipes a young actor with whom she has a run-in, feeling that weight bear down on him.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2024

The back of the sea curled up and fanned out, blocking the sky, threatening to bear down on the island.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray