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
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4
as in curving
to turn away from a straight line or course
the stream bends slightly to the east
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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
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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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Recent Examples of bending
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2026
The midwife’s hand was a gender-bending invention of the Enlightenment, combining the intelligence and strength of a man’s touch with the sensitive delicacy of a woman’s.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
The comedy veteran, whose career officially launched with 8 Simple Rules and a run on Charmed, has recently starred in such genre-bending rom-coms as Meet Cute (2022) and Role Play (2024).
—Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026
Not the headline figures, which were grim enough on their own — roughly 124 million tonnes of methane from the world's energy sector, with no sign the curve is bending down.
—Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Verbinski’s latest, a genre-bending sci-fi that sees Sam Rockwell as a time-travelling madman recruiting help to save humanity from the threat of artificial intelligence, led the director to take a deep dive into new tools.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 13 June 2026
What’s the big deal with tying laces, unless bending or crouching is a big inconvenience?
—Elaina Verhoff, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity predicts that these spacetime pathways can form under intensely bending, rotating space—such as around a spinning black hole.
—Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 12 June 2026
The driveway is gated, bending past a nearly football-field-size, 22-foot-deep pond that serves as both scenery and infrastructure.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
Verb
Create Seedling Pots DIY seedling pots are super easy to make from cardboard paper towel tubes by bending in the base of the tube to create a solid bottom and filling it with soil.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2026
The midwife’s hand was a gender-bending invention of the Enlightenment, combining the intelligence and strength of a man’s touch with the sensitive delicacy of a woman’s.
—Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
The comedy veteran, whose career officially launched with 8 Simple Rules and a run on Charmed, has recently starred in such genre-bending rom-coms as Meet Cute (2022) and Role Play (2024).
—Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026
Not the headline figures, which were grim enough on their own — roughly 124 million tonnes of methane from the world's energy sector, with no sign the curve is bending down.
—Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Verbinski’s latest, a genre-bending sci-fi that sees Sam Rockwell as a time-travelling madman recruiting help to save humanity from the threat of artificial intelligence, led the director to take a deep dive into new tools.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 13 June 2026
What’s the big deal with tying laces, unless bending or crouching is a big inconvenience?
—Elaina Verhoff, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity predicts that these spacetime pathways can form under intensely bending, rotating space—such as around a spinning black hole.
—Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 12 June 2026
The driveway is gated, bending past a nearly football-field-size, 22-foot-deep pond that serves as both scenery and infrastructure.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bending
Adjective
-
The base of the legs is stitched with a tulip hem for a dressier look and a curved silhouette.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
20 June 2026
-
This curved gaming monitor sports a 1000R curve that helps you get immersed in your gameplay by wrapping around your peripheral vision.—
George Yang,
PC Magazine,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Choose grasses with tall, arching stems to set off the upright dahlia form.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 June 2026
-
Lower back discomfort or tightness might be due to arching of your back, or your back muscles tacking on too much of the work to overcompensate for a lack of hip strength or control.—
Christa Sgobba,
Health,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
These days, those same thinkers describe their object of study as Unidentified Aerial Phenomena—and universities, governmental agencies, and independent groups are devoting serious resources to finally getting to the bottom of whether extraterrestrials really are out there.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
19 June 2026
-
But to avoid being stretched too much, defined as devoting more than 30% of their pay to housing, their income should be closer to $250,000.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The renovation masterfully blends contemporary comforts with the Inn's historic character, aiming for a sophisticated yet authentic residential feel.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
-
Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian oil facilities, aiming to cut Moscow’s revenue for the war and make Russians feel the consequences of the invasion.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
The innovative Panoramic Display consists of a 48-inch screen curving from door to door along the base of the windshield.—
Robert Duffer,
AJC.com,
19 June 2026
-
Gravitational lensing is a phenomenon that occurs when an object of great mass comes between Earth and a distant background source, curving the fabric of spacetime.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Last summer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused China of distorting trade and limiting access for European firms.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
-
The stainless-steel finish is extremely durable and will last for years without bending or distorting.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
In his letter to Hawley, Manfred said that rule was collectively bargained with the MLB Players Association and prohibits players from writing, attaching, affixing, embroidering or otherwise displaying messages on apparel or playing equipment.—
Dan Zaksheske,
FOXNews.com,
22 June 2026
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He was also accused of attaching three tracking devices to her car, sending her more than 100 texts and voicemails and showing up at her work.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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From $561 per night. Perks: Saltwater pool and spa, king beds in all rooms, piano, fire pit At the top of a long and winding drive awaits Le Petite Retreat.—
Jessica Cherner,
Architectural Digest,
5 June 2026
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Said Rahmani often compared his life story to the plot of Paulo Coelho’s novel The Alchemist, in which a young shepherd sets off on a long and winding journey to find his treasure, only to learn that it was buried near his home all along.—
Bozorgmehr Sharafedin,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bending. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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