as in curved
marked by a long series of irregular curves
the river takes a long bending path to the sea
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in arching
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devoting
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 aiming
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
as in curving
to turn away from a straight line or course
the stream bends slightly to the east
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in distorting
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 attaching
to cause (something) to hold to another
bend a leash to the dog's collar
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of bending
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 11 Mar. 2026
Before Grammy Award-winning rock duo Twenty One Pilots headline the first day of the festival Friday, genre-bending hip-hop duo Joey Valence & Brae will kick off night 1 at the AT&T Block Party.
—Annie Harrigan, Billboard, 11 Mar. 2026
Some in a crowd across South Meridian Street appear to be cheering, while others are bending over to tend to the person.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 8 Mar. 2026
But his experience with seeing three different relievers in a game all throwing 99 mph and bending, vanishing sliders is theoretical.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
In an improbable feat of dexterity, the American fingerstyle guitarist interprets the work of the UK electronic savants, finding graceful new forms in their brain-bending tangles.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 6 Mar. 2026
The abdominal muscles in bipeds are used to stabilize the body for upright mobility — sitting up, bending, etc.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Their exploits draw the attention of fashion mogul Christine Smith (Demi Moore), and the group must plan one final heist, joined by supernatural allies and time-bending technology.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026
The night’s features genre-bending performances from Big Gigantic, Goth Babe and Tycho, hip-hop acts BigXthaPlug and Paris Texas, and jam bands Dogs in a Pile and Eggy.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
The team also revealed that the resulting dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) fibers exhibit intrinsic softness, with an overall Young’s modulus of 37 MPa, enabling electrically controllable actuation modes with high freedom in bending, compression, and three-dimensional(3D) swirling motions.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 11 Mar. 2026
Before Grammy Award-winning rock duo Twenty One Pilots headline the first day of the festival Friday, genre-bending hip-hop duo Joey Valence & Brae will kick off night 1 at the AT&T Block Party.
—Annie Harrigan, Billboard, 11 Mar. 2026
Some in a crowd across South Meridian Street appear to be cheering, while others are bending over to tend to the person.
—Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 8 Mar. 2026
But his experience with seeing three different relievers in a game all throwing 99 mph and bending, vanishing sliders is theoretical.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
In an improbable feat of dexterity, the American fingerstyle guitarist interprets the work of the UK electronic savants, finding graceful new forms in their brain-bending tangles.
—Sam Sodomsky, Pitchfork, 6 Mar. 2026
The abdominal muscles in bipeds are used to stabilize the body for upright mobility — sitting up, bending, etc.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Their exploits draw the attention of fashion mogul Christine Smith (Demi Moore), and the group must plan one final heist, joined by supernatural allies and time-bending technology.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 2 Mar. 2026
The night’s features genre-bending performances from Big Gigantic, Goth Babe and Tycho, hip-hop acts BigXthaPlug and Paris Texas, and jam bands Dogs in a Pile and Eggy.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bending
Adjective
-
The result revealed a surprising pattern—superconductivity appeared and strengthened over a specific range of conditions, forming a curved region known as a superconducting dome.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The cabins hover lightly above the terrain, and curved retaining walls double as snow screens and a protective perimeter to help buffer winds.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Warning signs a skunk is ready to spray include jumping, stamping their front feet, arching their back, clicking teeth, and hissing.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Its arching branches of flat, fleshy leaves are now drooping, leaving the plant looking less like a festive centerpiece and more like a soggy green mop.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
For parents, devoting one-on-one time to children who are not in crisis, acknowledging their experiences, and validating their feelings without trying to fix them can make an enormous difference.—
Debra Manetta,
STAT,
26 Feb. 2026
-
There are still young people out there who are devoting themselves to the craft.—
Outside,
Outside,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Kentucky Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.—
Ray Padilla,
Louisville Courier Journal,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The Hoosier Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The chill all-day Mediterranean spot is Manja, noted by its huge, curving aqua pizza oven and porch swings.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Last June, Naomi Welikala noticed a line curving around the block of her local American Legion, an unassuming building that rarely invited commotion.—
Emma Madden,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These pressures are distorting the market.—
Vijay Dandapani,
New York Daily News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The comments reflect longstanding German concerns about what Berlin sees as an undervalued yuan, market-distorting subsidies and overcapacity among Chinese exporters that have built massive trade surpluses with Europe’s largest economy, amounting to 90 billion euros ($106 billion) last year.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Smith noted the task is harder still since the common tactic of attaching a specific bill to must-pass legislation, such as year-end defense spending, is unavailable to the lawmakers pushing the Clarity Act.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The waist is adjustable for a custom fit, and there’s an O-ring for attaching keys, gloves or lift tickets.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Spuds were handed a lifeline early in the second period as Sturgis went into the box for hooking.—
Andrew Cornelius,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
-
After being booked in the 58th minute for a body check near the halfway line on Ismaila Sarr, Krejci then played on in the 61st after a throw-in had been awarded against him, hooking the ball down the line.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bending. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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