bear down

verb

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see bear, down.
2. To steer away from the wind; to approach from windward.
3. To push (someone) to the ground; to defeat, overcome.
4. 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. To intensify one's efforts.

   “It's 9:41, 58 degrees, and I'm flunking out. Time to bear down.”

   “When Furyk spots another Arizona alum on Tour, one of them will utter the official U of A exhortation, which dates to the 1920s, when on his deathbed the school's quarter-back urged the football team to "bear down." Few on Tour bear down like Furyk. He has his plan and sticks to it.”

6. 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. To exert downward pressure on one's abdomen, as in giving birth, forcing out feces, and some similar bodily maneuvers.