# bear down

**Pronunciation:** /bɛər daʊn/ · BAIR-down

**CEFR level:** B2

**Part of speech:** phrasal verb

## Meaning

Apply intense effort, focus, or pressure toward a specific goal or task.

## Examples

- If we want to finish this project by Friday, we really need to bear down and work through the weekend.
- The student began to bear down on her studies once she realized how difficult the final exam would be.
- The captain told the team to bear down during the second half if they hoped to overcome the deficit.

## Synonyms

- focus — General term for paying close attention.
- concentrate — Directing mental effort toward a specific task.
- strive — Making great efforts to achieve something difficult.
- exert oneself — Formal way to describe putting in physical or mental work.

## Common patterns

- bear down on — To focus effort on or approach something aggressively. — We need to bear down on the details of the contract.

## Collocations

- bear down on someone — The deadline is starting to bear down on us.
- bear down on something — He had to bear down on the pen to make a carbon copy.

Canonical URL: https://anaversity.com/dictionary/english/bear%20down

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