loaded for bear

Idioms

Fully prepared for action; also, spoiling for a fight. For example, Bill tackled his new sales route loaded for bear, or When Martin was three hours late, his wife was loaded for bear. This term, dating from the mid-1800s, alludes to the heavy charge of powder or lead that hunters use for large animals like a bear.

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.

See Examples For:

loaded for bear

Les Snead is a beast and the Rams are loaded for bear.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026

“Chase Elliott is a heck of a road course racer. I know Hendrick Motorsports is coming loaded for bear for him the next two races.”

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 8, 2023

“Lucille was loaded for bear, and she wouldn’t back down from nothing,” Mr. Nichols said.

From New York Times ● Aug. 22, 2021

Well, I’m not sure what his preparation was like or what he did, but I kind of get the sense that Ken came in loaded for bear and wanted to beat Brad.

From Slate ● Jan. 15, 2020

He came back the next day loaded for bear.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

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