1
as in assumes
to take to or upon oneself
agreed to shoulder the burden of caring for their elderly father
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 shoulders
In the run-up to the summit, Erdogan described Turkey as a reliable ally that consistently shoulders responsibility on NATO’s southeastern flank and will continue to play a leading role in the alliance.
—
ABC News,
1 July 2026
Pulisic, who shoulders the heaviest load for the USMNT, split two defenders and poked a pass to Weston McKennie, who seemed to be trying to send a cross across the goal.
—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
The least productive line of the four against Minnesota was the second unit, but that trio also shoulders significant defensive responsibilities.
—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
Cunningham shoulders the weight of a city thirsty for meaningful basketball.
—
Hunter Patterson,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Charismatic and charming as ever, Gosling easily shoulders the job of being the only human onscreen for an epoch.
—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
There is great skepticism about Ellison’s ability to make the high-wire act work while Paramount Skydance shoulders a mountain of debt supplied by a consortium that includes Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds.
—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2026
Teams feel uncertainty at the top, momentum slows, and the CEO quietly shoulders more stress, not less.
—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Buckley shoulders intense on-screen distress without losing grasp of her character’s humanity, and Mescal lets his wan charm melt into something more haunted as Shakespeare ages and wrestles with loss.
—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
27 Nov. 2025
ABC News,
1 July 2026
Pulisic, who shoulders the heaviest load for the USMNT, split two defenders and poked a pass to Weston McKennie, who seemed to be trying to send a cross across the goal.
—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
The least productive line of the four against Minnesota was the second unit, but that trio also shoulders significant defensive responsibilities.
—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
Cunningham shoulders the weight of a city thirsty for meaningful basketball.
—
Hunter Patterson,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Charismatic and charming as ever, Gosling easily shoulders the job of being the only human onscreen for an epoch.
—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
There is great skepticism about Ellison’s ability to make the high-wire act work while Paramount Skydance shoulders a mountain of debt supplied by a consortium that includes Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds.
—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2026
Teams feel uncertainty at the top, momentum slows, and the CEO quietly shoulders more stress, not less.
—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Buckley shoulders intense on-screen distress without losing grasp of her character’s humanity, and Mescal lets his wan charm melt into something more haunted as Shakespeare ages and wrestles with loss.
—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
27 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoulders
Verb
-
The Gulf, though legally unchanged, now assumes direct Iranian strike risks.
-
Photos of the chefs are right there on the packaging, and the service correctly assumes that their reputations will draw you in.
Verb
-
Finney-Smith’s arrival leaves Charlotte with 17 players on standard pacts and when factoring the utilization of the maximum of three two-way contract slots into account when they are officially filled, that pushes the Hornets up to 20.
-
What that collaboration has come up with is a new knife that pushes Opinel's classic profile to new heights in terms of user friendliness and features.
Verb
-
The collection also accepts medical sharps, including diabetic needles, blood lancets, insulin pens, epi-pens, syringes, expired over-the-counter medicines and non-narcotic prescriptions.
-
That pressure should be maintained until Iran either fully accepts the three core conditions or the regime itself faces the prospect of collapse.
Verb
-
But the Heat landing Giannis elbows its way to the top of our sports marquee.
-
The mass release of dud studs elbows out fertile males, preventing them from mating with females, which generally only mate once.
Verb
-
Furniture bears scratches, repairs, and stains that remind us that somebody was here before.
-
Paying creditors out of personal funds could complicate matters, particularly if the estate ultimately bears responsibility.
Verb
-
One of our favorite budget models on the market right now is HP's OmniBook X Flip, which squeezes every bit of performance out of its components to deliver capable everyday productivity performance in a good-looking package.
-
That suits floating-rate lenders, who earn more when rates stay up, and squeezes any borrower trying to refinance into those rates.
Verb
-
One year later, the XFL muscles its way onto the national sports scene with its first two games.
-
Gringo Films does not sound like the kind of company that muscles its way into the global animation business.
Cite this Entry
“Shoulders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoulders. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
