bend 1 of 2

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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

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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
The goofy novelty of AI making adequate songs out of taboo subjects will fade, but millions bending the knee to robotic mediocrity isn’t going away anytime soon. Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 14 May 2025 Entitled passengers often try to bend the boarding rules or simply cut the line to get on the pane sooner, hoping not to be caught. Rachel Flynn, People.com, 14 May 2025
Noun
The cards were stacked against us, though; the turkeys quickly disappeared around a bend in the canyon, half a mile below, still going strong. Percy Brown, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2025 To stretch and strengthen your feet, try the following: To stretch the calf and heel, try heel cord stretches: Stand facing a wall, placing the unaffected leg forward with a slight knee bend and the affected leg straight behind with the heel flat. Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 22 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bend
Verb
  • Some arch their bodies upward, extending feathery tentacles into the water to capture plankton.
    Katarina Zimmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2025
  • Foliage is held on long arching stems tinged with maroon hues.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Islam recommends devoting no more than 5% of your portfolio to thematic ETFs, for example.
    Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 23 May 2025
  • Regardless of high prices, Bulgari’s Creative Director Lucia Silvestri has devoted herself to making the pieces more wearable, articulated, and comfortable on the body.
    Daisy Shaw-Ellis, Vogue, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • The prestigious pilot initiative, developed by South Africa’s Big World Cinema in collaboration with the Bertha Foundation, aims to tackle persistent industry barriers faced by mid-career African film and television producers.
    Jamie Lang, Variety, 21 May 2025
  • The fruit of two years of research, the project aims to chronicle the legendary tenor’s life from his boyhood in Modena, Italy, to his confirmation as a star at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in the 1970s.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • The architects Jeff Milstein and Barbara Weinstein pushed the kitchen under an arched alcove, lifted a bedroom above a curving wall, and carved a private office into the living area that looks like a tiny southwestern house.
    Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 22 May 2025
  • The gleaming buildings of Chicago, curving along the shore of Lake Michigan, are especially lethal.
    Vincent Alban, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • The cell phone camera has become both the tool humans use to perform and the reason that performance distorts even further in the eyes of others.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 May 2025
  • Unfortunately, this racial lens merely distorts the rivalry narrative, transforming what should be celebrated as an engaging competitive dynamic into something unnecessarily contentious.
    Lindsey Darvin, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • The attorney will take point dealing with all the legalities attached to the accident and will deal directly with the other driver’s insurance.
    LyssaNoel Frater, USA Today, 16 May 2025
  • The creator replaced it with a nearly identical bronze statue shortly after, but moved its location to private property nearby and attached it to concrete and metal rods.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • Last year, Kiké Hernández did the same thing after discovering astigmatism (a condition caused by imperfections in the curvature of the eye that can impact vision) in his own right eye.
    Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
  • How pet tracker technology works The technology works by identifying unique features of each animal — from eye shape and whisker length to unusual markings and tail curvature.
    Analisa Novak, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • By analyzing those subtle orbital tilts, the researchers were able to reverse-engineer Jupiter's primordial size and magnetic strength, according to the new study.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 21 May 2025
  • The stack of condos at One Seaport (a.k.a 161 Maiden Lane) stands forlorn and unfinished for now, since a three-inch tilt and a scrimmage of lawsuits brought construction to a halt.
    Justin Davidson, Curbed, 21 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bend. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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