Antonyms for the phrase "bears the brunt of" include "benefits from," "escapes," and "avoids." Instead of being the target of someone's anger or criticism, if someone benefits from a situation, they gain an advantage or profit from it. On the other hand, if someone escapes the brunt of a situation, they are able to avoid the negative effects. For instance, if someone is able to avoid being punished for something they did wrong, they have escaped the brunt of the punishment. Lastly, if someone avoids something altogether, they simply do not have to deal with it at all.