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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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
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Recent Examples of bending
Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
The royal made a beeline to the young boys, immediately bending down to their eye level and shaking their hands.
—Helen Murphy, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
But where limestone is crumbly and opaque, nacre’s toughness and light-bending properties come from silklike proteins that weave among the layers, holding them in place while providing enough elasticity to absorb the shock of a fracture.
—Caitlin Kennedy, Scientific American, 25 Apr. 2026
Apple TV‘s Pluribus is described as a genre-bending original in which the most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.
—Scott Huver, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2026
This is an example of the particle-wave duality of light, but bending light on the planet has been difficult.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
Following the astronomical success of his genre-bending period film, Mendonça Filho’s inbox is filled to the brim with meeting requests and scripts.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
This move proudly dovetails with a broader effort in the US to repackage the right as transgressive and rule-bending rather than conservative and tradition-bound.
—Simon Denny, Artforum, 20 Apr. 2026
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket was the first to treat the world to the brain-bending sight of a rocket landing itself.
—Arianna Huffington, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
Other footage from outside the restaurant shows the man bending the standup heaters and throwing more chairs.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
The royal made a beeline to the young boys, immediately bending down to their eye level and shaking their hands.
—Helen Murphy, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
But where limestone is crumbly and opaque, nacre’s toughness and light-bending properties come from silklike proteins that weave among the layers, holding them in place while providing enough elasticity to absorb the shock of a fracture.
—Caitlin Kennedy, Scientific American, 25 Apr. 2026
Apple TV‘s Pluribus is described as a genre-bending original in which the most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.
—Scott Huver, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2026
This is an example of the particle-wave duality of light, but bending light on the planet has been difficult.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
Following the astronomical success of his genre-bending period film, Mendonça Filho’s inbox is filled to the brim with meeting requests and scripts.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
This move proudly dovetails with a broader effort in the US to repackage the right as transgressive and rule-bending rather than conservative and tradition-bound.
—Simon Denny, Artforum, 20 Apr. 2026
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket was the first to treat the world to the brain-bending sight of a rocket landing itself.
—Arianna Huffington, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bending
Adjective
-
The hotel itself—sleekly renovated by Kyoto architect Shiro Miura—is hidden behind traditional dark wood and curved roof tiles.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 May 2026
-
The species, known for its distinctive bluish-gray coat and curved horns, disappeared just decades after it was first scientifically classified.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
With gracefully arching foliage, this evergreen fern is a staple of Southern porches.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The plant is a clump-forming fern with arching stems.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
By the 1970s, editors tried to distinguish their op-ed pages from others, but most adopted the common practice of devoting most, if not all, of their op-ed pages to outside voices.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Nothing will ever undo the original sin, and devoting your life to ruining someone else’s is a loss for both of you.—
Paula L. Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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However, Manilow, now cancer-free, is aiming to return to touring in June, the same month the singer releases his first new album in nearly 15 years, What a Time.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
2 May 2026
-
The variety could grow further in coming years with Relativity Space, Stoke Space and Astra Space all progressing with rockets aiming to launch from Cape Canaveral, while SpaceX looks to bring its Starship and Super Heavy to the Space Coast before the end of the year.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
There's no question about the iconic status of Tegallalang, the flawless and highly photogenic rice terraces curving around hillsides and irrigated by the subak system, which has UNESCO status.—
Kathryn Romeyn,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Apr. 2026
-
All communal areas can be reached by curving but steep paths.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Normalizing interactions where such limitations do not exist risks distorting the very standard by which human love is measured.—
Oluwaseun Damilola Sanwoolu,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The front has square glass block masonry on the lower half, which lets light in while reducing what's visible outside by distorting the view.—
Stefan Ionescu
March 30,
New Atlas,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Locate hanging baskets close to a water source and consider attaching a watering wand to the hose to extend your reach.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Jaden Williams, 23, of Putnam, Connecticut, was charged with conspiracy and attaching wrong plates to conceal identity.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
By hooking a solo shot around the Pesky Pole, the lefty swinger finally hit his first dinger of the year off Boston southpaw Payton Tolle.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Already, there’s been an uptick in shark sightings and encounters, with the beach closed recently in Newport Beach and a fisherman hooking and releasing a great white off Manhattan Beach Pier.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bending. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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