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

See Examples For:

bear down

At the All-Star Game, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he believes the implementation of ABS has “made the umpiring even better, because they have to bear down even more.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 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

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

“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 flames that bear down on me have an unnatural height, a uniformity that marks them as humanmade, machine-made, Gamemaker-made.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins