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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of bending
Jakob Roze, Health, 4 Nov. 2025
Blending genre-bending humor with social satire, the show examines modern life, dating, and identity through an inventive lens.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025
The revisions—made just hours after two prosecutors who authored the original filing were placed on administrative leave—have fueled scrutiny over whether the DOJ is exercising routine caution or bending under political pressure.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
The genre-bending project was so buttoned up that Gilligan didn’t even tell his wife about it for a lengthy period of time.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
Live action and animation come together in mind-bending ways, in service of the titular mystery.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
Researchers validated the structure using finite element method (FEM) simulations to check how stress distributes during bending.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2025
Almost 14 years since Gym Class Heroes, the genre-bending band formed in 1997 with Matt McGinley and Ryan Geise, released their last album, McCoy is rebooting the project.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Video released by police shows someone bending, then breaking, the beloved sportscaster's bronze microphone.
—Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
Keeping your heels on the ground, lift your toes toward your shins without bending your knees.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 4 Nov. 2025
Blending genre-bending humor with social satire, the show examines modern life, dating, and identity through an inventive lens.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025
The revisions—made just hours after two prosecutors who authored the original filing were placed on administrative leave—have fueled scrutiny over whether the DOJ is exercising routine caution or bending under political pressure.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
The genre-bending project was so buttoned up that Gilligan didn’t even tell his wife about it for a lengthy period of time.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2025
Live action and animation come together in mind-bending ways, in service of the titular mystery.
—The Atlantic Culture Desk, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2025
Researchers validated the structure using finite element method (FEM) simulations to check how stress distributes during bending.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2025
Almost 14 years since Gym Class Heroes, the genre-bending band formed in 1997 with Matt McGinley and Ryan Geise, released their last album, McCoy is rebooting the project.
—Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 28 Oct. 2025
Video released by police shows someone bending, then breaking, the beloved sportscaster's bronze microphone.
—Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bending
Adjective
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The curved lines and mesh detailing add a dash of vintage street style, and pair well with everything from athletic wear to wide-leg trousers and a T-shirt.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Nov. 2025
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Spacetime may be more strongly curved inside of a black hole’s event horizon, but anything that happens in there can’t get out; nothing can escape a black hole’s interior, even at the speed of light.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Canadian cultural mosaic, in which distinct identities exist parallel to an over-arching nationalism, further offered an alternative to the melting pot model found south of the border.—
Dónal Gill,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
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Avoid lifting too high and arching your back.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The city is devoting 12 inspectors to the effort — six teams of two.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Nov. 2025
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As a working mother, Meghan has been candid about running her business while also devoting plenty of time to her kiddos.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The team plans to utilize their new experimental platform to investigate other twisted 2D materials, aiming to identify new candidates for future technologies.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
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Tapestry laid out its new strategic vision in September, aiming to build Coach to a $10 billion business by widening the definition of its target audience and essentially going after everybody who might conceivably buy a handbag, not just the people who bought one last year.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Other standout features include a custom brass kitchen and a curving brass staircase to match.—
Mekita Rivas,
Architectural Digest,
7 Nov. 2025
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So much of Brazil strains the imagination—the interminable skyline of São Paulo, the beaches of Rio curving between monoliths of granite, the aquamarine pools trapped between the undulating dunes of Lençóis Maranhenses.—
William O'Connor,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Over the summer, officials in Turkey — where the lawsuit says some of the allegedly fraudulent Drake streams originated — started investigating Spotify over several allegations, including bribes for playlist placement and bot streams distorting domestic charts.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
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All the shadows and jagged angles evoke German Expressionism, distorting Ronnie’s confrontation into something both surreal and terrifyingly recognizable.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Along with signalling affluence, clothes became wearable purses for travelers and attaching ones coins to a vest instead of carrying a bag was an easy way to avoid theft.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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The drain outlets feature 40-mm valves for attaching a hose to better manage and direct the drainage flow or connect to a campsite drainage hookup.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The third came four seconds after the Bruins killed an Eyssimont hooking penalty.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Hahn and Jeff Glaid, the WGFD biologist who conducted the study, told a room full of anglers in 2024 that if regulations didn’t change, and hooking injuries to fish — like bottom jaws torn off and severe scarring — continued, the department would have to start restocking in earnest.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bending. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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