1 C1 neutral
In sailing, to steer the vessel away from the wind or away from another object.
"Bear off a little — we're getting too close to the rocks."
inseparable
bear off
C1 neutral separable transitive/intransitive
In sailing, to steer away from the wind or another vessel; to push a boat away from a dock or shore.
In plain English
To steer a boat away from something, or to push it away from a landing spot.
What does "bear off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 neutral
In backgammon, to remove one's pieces from the board after bringing them all to the home board, which is the final stage of the game.
"She was already bearing off her last three pieces when her opponent had barely entered the home board."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To bear (steer/push) something off and away from a point.
Actually means
To steer a boat away from something, or to push it away from a landing spot.
Usage tip
Primarily nautical. Also used in backgammon, where 'bearing off' means removing pieces from the board in the final stage of the game. Both uses are technical and context-specific.
Words that pair with "bear off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
wind dock shore vessel pieces board
How to conjugate "bear off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
bear off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
bears off
he/she/it
Past simple
bore off
yesterday
Past participle
born/borne off
have + pp
-ing form
bearing off
continuous
Hear "bear off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "bear off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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