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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bend
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
Oligarchs could bend the knee and profit, or resist and end up in jail or in exile, their assets ripped away.
—Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2025
Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
If those teams up top will hold firm, or if someone unforeseen is about to make their charge — or, more generally, what fresh college hoops chaos is around the bend.
—Cj Moore, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bend
Verb
Even though Earth blocks sunlight from directly reaching moon during a total lunar eclipse, our planet's atmosphere still bends sunlight to indirectly light up the lunar surface.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025
Oligarchs could bend the knee and profit, or resist and end up in jail or in exile, their assets ripped away.
—Garry Kasparov, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
Simply entering or exiting a spacecraft can induce the bends—decompression sickness—in which dissolved nitrogen forms bubbles in the blood.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2025
If those teams up top will hold firm, or if someone unforeseen is about to make their charge — or, more generally, what fresh college hoops chaos is around the bend.
—Cj Moore, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bend
Verb
-
Keep your torso tall, your shoulders back and tall, and your core engaged (no slouching forward or arching the back).—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
26 Feb. 2025
-
At the sound of my voice, everything shifted, whoosh-like, and that tiny woman who had been unresponsive arched her body from the bed and cried out and reached for me.—
Marit Fischer,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
California needs to devote more money to rooftop solar, not less.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Two features at True/False devote attention to human experience rarely documented in film: Deaf President Now!, directed by Nyle DiMarco and Oscar winner Davis Guggenheim, and The Silence of My Hands, directed by Manuel Acuña.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Mostly aimed at more skilled builders and collectors, the Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon (75375) set looks great as a display item.—
Paul Brett,
Space.com,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Kanye West called out Bhad Bhabie over her diss track aimed at fellow rapper Alabama Barker.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
In a space known as the Languedoc wine region of southern France, within the huge administrative region of Occitanie, multiple independent wine appellations curve in an arc alongside—and parallel to—the Mediterranean Sea.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes,
2 Mar. 2025
-
Published on February 11, 2025 By Wendy Bowman Photo : Full Package Media/Compass A curving floating staircase can be found in the double-height living room.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Only in our current cultural moment, the stakes and outcomes are distorted in ways an artist of Simone’s era could never recognize.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
1 Mar. 2025
-
But that bag still has a way of distorting things for some players.—
Danny Emerman,
The Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
The program’s rules, which were created during the Biden administration, previously favored broadband lines made of fiber-optic cables attached to homes.—
Cecilia Kang,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2025
-
Across the top of its wings, Wissa and her team had carefully attached three rows of thin, flexible plastic flaps, hinged with tape.—
Saugat Bolakhe,
WIRED,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The theory, known as cosmic inflation, has been used to explain the universe’s flat geometry and lack of curvature, and as a possible reason for how some of the largest structures in the universe — galaxies and clusters of galaxies, for instance — came to be.—
Denise Chow,
NBC News,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Slim-fit: Made for workout gear, slim-fit jackets offer the same hip and shoulder cuts but have more curvature in the torso area.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Americans’ overall perceptions of religion tilt positive, according to the survey, but appear to have cooled since 2014.—
Jennifer Agiesta,
CNN,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Daniel Fadhel led a balanced attack with 19 points as No. 28 Maynard (6-15) rolled to a 63-27 win over No. 37 McCann Tech in a Div. 5 preliminary round tilt.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
25 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bend. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share