bear 1 of 2

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as in to carry
to hold up or serve as a foundation for the wooden bridge will only bear one truck at a time

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to haul
to support and take from one place to another the rescue team came bearing much-needed food and supplies

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to pack
to wear or have on one's person the right to bear arms

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to lead
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction the path will bear north after that marked tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to need
to have as a requirement the violence in that country bears watching if the world wants to avoid a serious international conflict

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in to be
to occupy a place or location a hot, humid air mass is now bearing just south of the Gulf Coast

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to yield
to produce as revenue an interest-bearing savings account

Synonyms & Similar Words

bear

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb bear differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of bear are abide, endure, stand, suffer, and tolerate. While all these words mean "to put up with something trying or painful," bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking.

forced to bear a tragic loss

In what contexts can abide take the place of bear?

While the synonyms abide and bear are close in meaning, abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest.

cannot abide their rudeness

When might endure be a better fit than bear?

While in some cases nearly identical to bear, endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties.

endured years of rejection

Where would stand be a reasonable alternative to bear?

In some situations, the words stand and bear are roughly equivalent. However, stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching.

unable to stand teasing

When is suffer a more appropriate choice than bear?

The words suffer and bear are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing.

suffering many insults

When can tolerate be used instead of bear?

Although the words tolerate and bear have much in common, tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful.

refused to tolerate such treatment

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bear
Verb
Martin explains that while most people might assume baby Cassian was overdue because of his size, he was actually born early, his lungs were still a little underdeveloped and his glucose levels weren't steady. Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025 The respondents ranged in age from those born before 1950 to those born in 2001 or later but were over 18 years of age. Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
The Bear League opposes killing Hope, and offered to pay to relocate the mother bear and cub, Bounce, Fleishman said. Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025 Only one bear has been seen on the game cameras and no bears have been caught in any of the traps deployed in the area, according to the release. Bill Bowden, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bear
Verb
  • Players can also add the Double Play for an additional $1 to have a second chance at winning $10 million.
    Chris Sims, IndyStar, 23 Oct. 2025
  • That means more than one of every eight of Kroger's 103 stores in its Cincinnati-Dayton division (which includes Northern Kentucky) have the digital devices so far.
    Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Herrera is forced to stand picture-perfect for several seconds while the venue falls silent.
    Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025
  • This can range from where to stand to create passing lanes to how quickly or slowly to travel in possession — as Elliott harshly discovered against Sunderland.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Frishkorn said the investigation will determine if the accident was alcohol or speed-related, but witnesses have indicated both of those may have been a factor.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The high court is already considering a separate, but related, dispute regarding National Guard deployment in Chicago where different federal court decisions have temporarily halted presidential intervention.
    Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Chelsea are 5-1 up against 10 men, the result long since secured, but no one wants to head for the exits to escape the teeming rain just yet.
    Simon Johnson, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Again while a deal is not done yet, insiders say it is headed in that direction after Jordan was blown away by the recent rewrite delivered by Gilroy.
    Justin Kroll, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • North also styled her hair in braids like Dionne and carried a small black leather handbag.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 26 Oct. 2025
  • This year, a replica of the Seneca Chief, which carried Clinton in 1825, set out from Buffalo on the canal.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Slot’s side fell behind to Rasmus Kristensen’s strike but held their nerve and took complete control with 14 shots on target compared to just one.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Many of the marble mausoleums on this 14-acre spot are held by Argentina’s elite, some famous, others infamous—think past presidents, Nobel Prize winners, and military commanders.
    Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Advertisement In interviews, DaCosta has talked about the pleasures of telling stories in which Black women behave badly, instead of being forced to serve as virtuous role models.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Those surviving cells accumulated more genetic damage, and in some cases started behaving like cancer cells.
    Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In a spot that previously housed a portico, an excavator can be seen consolidating the rubble to be hauled away.
    Thomas Bordeaux, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
  • David and Daryl drove tractors hauling children to the pumpkin patches.
    Kelly Wilkinson, IndyStar, 23 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bear. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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