backbend

noun back·bend \ ˈbak-ˌbend \

|Updated on: 17 Jul 2018

Definition of backbend

1 : a movement (as in gymnastics) in which from a standing position with the knees straight the body is arched backward until the hands touch the floor over the head

2 : a posture or pose (as in yoga) that extends the front of the body and bends the spine backwards

… this action supports your lower back and generates a strong lift of the belly out of the pelvis to help release the spine into a deep backbend.
—Barbara Benagh

Recent Examples of backbend from the Web

This sequence is designed for a regular practitioner, so expect faster transitions, inversions, standing poses and backbends.

— chloe kernaghan, Time, "This 10-Minute Cardio Yoga Workout Will Help Make You More Flexible," 10 July 2018
For the cow pose, inhale and – leading with your sternum and chest – bring your shoulders and head up so your spine makes a gentle backbend.

— beth wood, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Yoga and meditation tips for caregivers," 25 Apr. 2018
The studio’s Wake Up & Flow series, held at the early hour of 6:00 a.m., promises heart-opening backbends—and heart-pumping playlists.

— noor brara, Vogue, "Turn Up the Heat With Hot Yoga for a Total Spring Body Reboot," 13 Apr. 2018
Most of the time, the dancers travel as a group, and the contractions and deep backbends recall Ailey’s mentor, pioneer choreographer Lester Horton, not a bad model.

— allan ulrich, San Francisco Chronicle, "Ailey dancers strike gold in annual UC visit," 11 Apr. 2018
And, of course, impressive technique: crisp, blindingly fast footwork, deep backbends, sculptural arms, fluid hands.

— marina harss, New York Times, "A Fenómeno of the Flamenco World," 6 Mar. 2018
Like a thunderbolt — on a powerful chord in the music — the ballerina, crossing the stage, arrives once more with the hero, but now clinging to his waist, her head and shoulders arched away from him in a deep backbend, as caught in the photo above.

— alastair macaulay, New York Times, "How Balanchine Turns a Fairy Story Into Tragedy," 20 Feb. 2018
The kids start by asking Dobrev to show off wheel pose, also known as a backbend.

— leah prinzivalli, SELF, "We Asked 2 Kids to Test Nina Dobrev's Flexibility and We're Seriously Impressed," 10 Jan. 2018
The movement is a combination of release techniques, classical modern and Bartenieff Fundamentals; Diaz wears a long, flowing skirt that, in moments, evokes images of Ruth St. Denis’s iconic backbend.

— lauren warnecke, chicagotribune.com, "All kinds of duets featured in first weekend of Harvest Dance Fest," 9 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'backbend.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.