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

---

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]

---

Example Sentences

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

He added the government has "done a lot to bear down" on small boats and there is "lots we need to do on irregular migration".

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

New reporting requirements for digital platforms came into effect on 1 January 2024 with the government saying they would help it "bear down on tax evasion".

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025

“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

Your bright eyes bear down on me without cease, on behalf of the quick and the dead.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver