When it comes to expressing the idea of "bearing the burden," there are a variety of synonyms that can be used to convey the same meaning. Some alternative options include carrying the weight, assuming responsibility, taking on the load, bearing the brunt, bearing the yoke, and shouldering the responsibility. These phrases all imply that someone is taking on a significant amount of weight or responsibility, often for the benefit of others or to complete an important task. While each of these phrases has a slightly different connotation or emphasis, they all express the idea that someone is doing the difficult work of bearing a heavy burden.