wend

1 of 2

verb

wended; wending; wends

intransitive verb

: to direct one's course : travel

transitive verb

: to proceed on (one's way) : direct

Wend

2 of 2

noun

: a member of a Slavic people of eastern Germany

Examples of wend in a Sentence

Verb We wended through the narrow streets. We wended our way through the narrow streets.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
If the musicians’ visibility and viability has shifted, Sparks’ music remains inventive, brainy and flamboyant pop, often born of sunshiny moments and wistful memories that wend their way into lyrics. Katherine Turman, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025 There are easy walks to challenging hikes open most of the year that wend through hardwood forests, ridges of dunes and extensive wetlands. Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 15 Apr. 2025 The case wended its way through the El Dorado courts for several years before the grand jury returned indictments in 2022. Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2025 Terry was enrolled in a supervised release program during a brief arraignment proceeding Thursday, sparing him any jail time as his case wends its way through Bronx Criminal Court. Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for wend

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English wendan; akin to Old High German wenten to turn, Old English windan to twist — more at wind entry 3

Noun

German Wende, from Old High German Winida; akin to Old English Winedas, plural, Wends

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1786, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wend was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Wend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wend. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

wend

verb
: to go one's way : proceed
wending their way home

More from Merriam-Webster on wend

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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