1
as in to arch
to cause to turn away from a straight line
she bent the blade of the knife when she got it jammed in the drawer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to devote
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention
bent herself to the task for the rest of the day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to aim
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal
bent all of his efforts toward making his first documentary film
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in to distort
to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of
attorneys bending the facts to put their client in the most favorable light
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to attach
to cause (something) to hold to another
bend a leash to the dog's collar
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in curvature
something that curves or is curved
it's hard to see around that bend in the road, so be careful
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bend
Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
Earlier this month, the Department of Education froze all federal grant funding to Harvard over their refusal to bend to their demands.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025
Bruce Schreiner and Obed Lamy, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Research now shows there’s no universal neutral body posture in zero-gravity environments, but there are certain commonalities between the postures, including maintaining a neutral spine, with a slight bend in the knees and arms.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bend
Verb
Using your body to brace doors and windows Those who have been through major hurricanes may tell you of the surreal visual of watching their doors and windows bending to the pressure from the winds.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025
Earlier this month, the Department of Education froze all federal grant funding to Harvard over their refusal to bend to their demands.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025
Noun
In north-central Kentucky, emergency officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for Falmouth, a town of 2,000 people in a bend of the rising Licking River.
—Bruce Schreiner and Obed Lamy, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Research now shows there’s no universal neutral body posture in zero-gravity environments, but there are certain commonalities between the postures, including maintaining a neutral spine, with a slight bend in the knees and arms.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bend
Verb
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Cats typically show affection by arching their back against you, meowing, purring, following you around, or sleeping near you at night.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 May 2025
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Cuomo, who was already seated, warily arched his eyebrows.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Verb
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Islam recommends devoting no more than 5% of your portfolio to thematic ETFs, for example.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
23 May 2025
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Regardless of high prices, Bulgari’s Creative Director Lucia Silvestri has devoted herself to making the pieces more wearable, articulated, and comfortable on the body.—
Daisy Shaw-Ellis,
Vogue,
20 May 2025
Verb
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The prestigious pilot initiative, developed by South Africa’s Big World Cinema in collaboration with the Bertha Foundation, aims to tackle persistent industry barriers faced by mid-career African film and television producers.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
21 May 2025
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The fruit of two years of research, the project aims to chronicle the legendary tenor’s life from his boyhood in Modena, Italy, to his confirmation as a star at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in the 1970s.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
21 May 2025
Verb
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The architects Jeff Milstein and Barbara Weinstein pushed the kitchen under an arched alcove, lifted a bedroom above a curving wall, and carved a private office into the living area that looks like a tiny southwestern house.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
22 May 2025
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The gleaming buildings of Chicago, curving along the shore of Lake Michigan, are especially lethal.—
Vincent Alban,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
Verb
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The cell phone camera has become both the tool humans use to perform and the reason that performance distorts even further in the eyes of others.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
21 May 2025
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Unfortunately, this racial lens merely distorts the rivalry narrative, transforming what should be celebrated as an engaging competitive dynamic into something unnecessarily contentious.—
Lindsey Darvin,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Verb
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Bradley has a lot of fear attached, but also relief.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2025
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Shortly after, a former Edisto Beach State Park ranger found several teeth attached to a skull while on vacation.—
David Chiu,
People.com,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Last year, Kiké Hernández did the same thing after discovering astigmatism (a condition caused by imperfections in the curvature of the eye that can impact vision) in his own right eye.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
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How pet tracker technology works The technology works by identifying unique features of each animal — from eye shape and whisker length to unusual markings and tail curvature.—
Analisa Novak,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The stack of condos at One Seaport (a.k.a 161 Maiden Lane) stands forlorn and unfinished for now, since a three-inch tilt and a scrimmage of lawsuits brought construction to a halt.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
21 May 2025
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By analyzing those subtle orbital tilts, the researchers were able to reverse-engineer Jupiter's primordial size and magnetic strength, according to the new study.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bend. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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