Definition of bendnext
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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

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as in to curve
to turn away from a straight line or course the stream bends slightly to the east

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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bend

2 of 2

noun

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
Verb
This can be super helpful for those who either can’t or don’t want to sit or bend down to put on their shoes. — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 2 Nov. 2026 Each is a movement the machine controls separately, such as bending an elbow. — New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2026
Noun
Stand about a foot behind a kettlebell with your feet hip-width apart and a soft bend in your knees. — Jenessa Connor, HEALTH, 26 Oct. 2026 Keep a tight core, a straight back and a slight bend in your knees, with the weights hanging straight down, palms facing one another. — Sarah Stiefvater, Flow Space, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bend
Verb
  • The painting is commanded by an umbrella pine, which arches high into the butter-yellow heavens, on the right, leaning over the heart of the composition.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The work consists of a transparent female figure, sculpted with her back arched in a bridge position and filled halfway with water.
    — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Massachusetts devotes substantial attention to housing, entrepreneurship and the racial wealth gap.
    — Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Students who offload their coursework to AI can devote themselves to the clubs, internships, and leadership roles that become the standard everyone is measured against when interviewing for jobs.
    — Alana Kaufman, Time, 6 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • But the midterms revealed a broad backlash against redistricting efforts in the South that were aimed at boosting Republicans and, by extension, reducing Black representation.
    — BILL BARROW, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
  • This is one of the inconveniences TobenONE aims to address with its modular design.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Here, at the lonely eastern edge of Polynesia, the empty horizon seems to curve with the Earth itself.
    — Mark Johanson, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026
  • No-brainer options included handsome denims with a curving leg and neo-suiting playing on mixing rather than matching sets.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 29 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The mathematical description of how a telescope distorts a point of light is called its point spread function.
    — John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026
  • In both films, everything comes in threes, the incessant crosscutting is accorded a flashy metaphysical weight, and time itself is manipulated, distorted, and rearranged to the point of meaninglessness.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • According to the Army, its integration process is non-destructive, meaning attaching the kit does not permanently alter the underlying munition.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Online lenders are more likely to attach upfront fees than traditional brick-and-mortar banks, but Discover doesn't charge an origination fee.
    — Dan Avery,Jasmin Suknanan, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Related Articles This design, hailing from the mind of Maximilian Davis, is flapper-esque, crafted without sleeves or curvature, a straight up-and-down style reminiscent of a garçonne dress.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Most recently introduced monitors of this size have a slight curvature.
    — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • For comparison, the Reolink Altas PT Ultra captures true 4K video with a 90-degree field of view and supports 90 degrees of vertical tilt and 355 degrees of horizontal panning.
    — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Slight shifts or tilts — even on the scale of just a few nanometers — can change the pattern of light.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bend. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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