bear down

verb bears down · bearing down · bore down · borne down

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see bear, down.
2. To steer away from the wind; to approach from windward.
3. transitive To push (someone) to the ground; to defeat, overcome.
4. obsolete, transitive To maintain one's position against (someone) in a debate; to stand one's ground against. And they sayd unto her: thou arte mad. And she bare them doune that hit was even so.
5. intransitive To intensify one's efforts. It's 9:41, 58 degrees, and I'm flunking out. Time to bear down.
6. intransitive, with on To approach in a determined manner. Huth headed wide inside two minutes, Andy Wilkinson blasted over from Shotton's cut-back and Jones was squeezed out when bearing down on goal.
7. intransitive To exert downward pressure on one's abdomen, as in giving birth, forcing out feces, and some similar bodily maneuvers.