bear out
Definition
Phrasal Verb: - To support, confirm, or prove something to be true: To provide evidence or testimony that validates a statement, theory, claim, or suspicion.
Usage
"Bear out" is a transitive phrasal verb. It is used to indicate that facts, evidence, or subsequent events prove that something previously said or believed was correct. - The structure is typically: Subject + bear out + object (e.g., a claim, a theory, a person). - It is often used in passive voice: be borne out (by something). Note the spelling change to "borne" in the past participle.
Examples
- Active Voice:
- The latest sales figures bear out the CEO's optimistic forecast.
- If my suspicions are borne out, we will need to take immediate action.
- Passive Voice:
- His version of events was borne out by several independent witnesses.
- The data has not been borne out by subsequent research.
Advanced Usage
- "To bear someone out": To confirm that what a particular person said is true.
- I promise I'm telling the truth. Just ask Sarah; she'll bear me out.
Variants and Related Words
- Bear (verb): To carry, support, or endure. "Bear out" is a specific phrasal combination of this verb.
- Borne (past participle): The form used for the past participle in passive constructions (e.g., ). Do not confuse with "born," which relates only to birth.
Synonyms
- Confirm: To establish the truth or correctness of something.
- Corroborate: To give support to a statement, theory, or finding.
- Substantiate: To provide evidence to support or prove the truth of something.
- Validate: To check or prove the validity or accuracy of something.
- Verify: To make sure or demonstrate that something is true, accurate, or justified.
Antonyms
- Disprove: To prove that something is false.
- Refute: To prove a statement or theory to be wrong or false.
- Contradict: To be in conflict with or assert the opposite of a statement.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Bear up: To remain resilient under stress or hardship.
- She is bearing up well under the pressure.
- Bear with: To be patient with someone.
- Bear with me for a moment while I find the document.*
Related Idioms
- The proof of the pudding is in the eating: The real value or truth of something can only be judged when it is put to use, similar to how evidence "bears out" a claim.
Verb
-
support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm
-
The stories and claims were born out by the evidence
-
