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Synonyms

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]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

Analysts at TD Cowen said in a recent note that they expect importers and exporters to bear the brunt of conflict-related shipping delays and cost increases in the form of fees and surcharges.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

Those farmers bear the brunt of soaring costs.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

Families of those with dementia "bear the brunt" with little information or support, and people diagnosed with MND, whose life-expectancy is short, still face multiple assessments and means tests.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

Mundín says that our uncle has been feeling bad that he got out just in time, leaving my father and Tío Toni and others to bear the brunt of the dictator’s son’s wrath.

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.