Antonyms for the phrase "bears the brunt" could include "escapes the impact," "shares the load," "participates equally," and "is unaffected." These opposite phrases suggest a scenario where the full force of a situation is not placed on one individual, but instead is spread out amongst a group or is non-existent altogether. For example, "escapes the impact" could imply that no one in a group is adversely affected by a circumstance, while "shares the load" indicates that everyone is working together to handle the challenge. Antonyms for "bears the brunt" demonstrate a range of scenarios where the weight of a situation is not borne by one person alone.