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
Jennifer Sangalang, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Now, Enbang Li’s simple, three-foot-long device can bend light and could open up multiple new applications for mapping, monitoring, and navigation systems.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Two families, one hiking up, the other hiking down, were chatting and sharing insights at a bend in the trail.
—Bing Pan, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bend
Verb
In addition to building damage or palm trees that bend from strong wind, the image of car tops peeking through floodwaters has become synonymous with Florida hurricanes.
—Jennifer Sangalang, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
Now, Enbang Li’s simple, three-foot-long device can bend light and could open up multiple new applications for mapping, monitoring, and navigation systems.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
During construction, Rongers said the trail will be blocked off at a bend, about 75 to 100 feet before Stanley Street, where the path now ends.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
Two families, one hiking up, the other hiking down, were chatting and sharing insights at a bend in the trail.
—Bing Pan, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bend
Verb
-
My mom’s eyebrows arch like crawling caterpillars and then straighten out.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Back on the highway, the rearview mirror showed the clouds had lifted, the waters were still, and a rainbow had arched across the sky.—
Marlise Kast-Myers,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ternus has devoted nearly his entire professional career to working at Apple.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The Beatles, by contrast, retired from the road in 1966 and devoted their energies to the studio.—
Marc Ballon,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
United currently aim to make four major signings, including an experienced striker and a left-back, with Tyrell Malacia departing and Luke Shaw needing to be rested more given the addition of midweek games.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Organized by the Malta Film Commission, the festival is set to grow in both scale and ambition this year, with an enlarged program of screenings, industry events and cultural offerings aimed at strengthening Malta’s role as an international filmmaking hub.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
All communal areas can be reached by curving but steep paths.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Depending on the positioning of this wing, the robot can glide forward or curve back toward its starting point.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Through immersive sound, travel, and intimate interviews, Baudelaire journeys from Benin to Haiti and across the Haitian diaspora to uncover the true story of Vodou — a story of resistance, faith, and cultural survival that’s often been distorted by fear and colonial mythmaking.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
-
This also distorts the definition of what success for these programs would look like.—
Catherine Thorbecke,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Since the injury, goalie masks changed to include a piece of protection that was attached; the masks now extend to cover a wider portion to ensure that what happened to Malarchuk would not occur again.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Graham King—the British producer behind Martin Scorsese films like The Aviator (2004) and The Departed (2006) as well as Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)—secures the rights from the Jackson estate to make a film about Michael Jackson with screenwriter John Logan attached.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
25 Apr. 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
-
Still, Combs had been widely associated with a tilt toward technology and financial names during his tenure, including stakes in VeriSign and Snowflake .—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
-
In the interest of making the most of the Pro Type Ergo’s larger size, the keyboard includes four adjustable feet that offer forward and backward tilt options of 4 or 7 degrees.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bend. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
