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
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Recent Examples of bend
Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
Like Powell, Warsh will helm a central bank taking a wait-and-see approach to inflationary shocks like the Iran war and Trump’s tariffs, even as the president tries to bend its members to his drive for rate cuts.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
He's got great bend and speed off the edge.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bend
Verb
Right now, Manager Kurt Suzuki and pitching coach Mike Maddux are clearly bending over backward to optimize matchups, rather than simply giving each pitcher a clean inning.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
Like Powell, Warsh will helm a central bank taking a wait-and-see approach to inflationary shocks like the Iran war and Trump’s tariffs, even as the president tries to bend its members to his drive for rate cuts.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
The service The disarmingly young staff (200-plus for 83 rooms), dressed in variations of beige, white and green are all unfailingly lovely and bend-over-backwards helpful.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
He's got great bend and speed off the edge.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bend
Verb
-
Socks target arch, balance, mobility and ankle support.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
-
During the winter, the tree maintains its appeal with an elegant, arching form and smooth, silvery-gray bark featuring unique ridges.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The situation stems from the commendable liberal impulse to devote extensive resources to public education.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
-
News outlets devoted round-the-clock coverage to Jackson, and MTV dedicated its programming almost exclusively to the musician.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Andrew is aiming to finish with its best record since a 22-14 showing in 2017.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
The United States and Iran are moving closer to an agreement on a short memorandum that aims to end the Iran war, a regional source familiar with the negotiations sad.—
Alejandra Jaramillo,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Gently curving architecture leads you from the showroom entrance into the cozy, circular display room.—
Nathanael Gassett,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Architects Enrique Muller and Santiago Aspe designed a striking adobe-style cascade that drops nine levels down the rock in warm honey tones, curving with the cliff as if it were poured in place.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The first mystery that could be solved involves an ultradense clump of matter detected in the system JVAS B1938+666, which is gravitationally lensed, or visibly distorted, thanks to a quirk of general relativity.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 May 2026
-
The loans granted by a government to firms may distort competition within the European market and therefore are prohibited by the European Union.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
Steve Upton, the founder of 530 Mining, attaches a GoPro camera to his helmet to film a dig for his group’s YouTube channel.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
It’s gotten to the point where a celebrity name attached to a brand can have an adverse reaction, setting up an expectation that the liquid inside is just not going to be very good.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
The usually straight path of light gets curved along the warp, with the degree of curvature dictated by how close to the object of mass the light passes.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2026
-
To achieve such a high curvature, the team took advantage of differences in the contraction and expansion of individual layers caused by physical stresses in the material resulting from the fabrication process.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Nick’s Restaurants is taking another ride through Orange County, this time with a Western tilt.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
-
The current maps yielded a 20 to 8 Republican tilt in 2024.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bend. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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