1
as in arches
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devotes
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 aims
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 curves
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 distorts
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 attaches
to cause (something) to hold to another
bend a leash to the dog's collar
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in curvatures
something that curves or is curved
it's hard to see around that bend in the road, so be careful
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bends
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2025
From galaxy rotation curves that defy Newton's laws to gravitational lensing that bends light in eerie ways, scientists have been piecing together clues about dark matter like interstellar sleuths.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Uchis has built a reputation as a bilingual and genre-fluid artist who bends musical boundaries with ease.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2025
From the other side, the highway takes off in Madison and then bends off the main road to the charming town of New Glarus.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
In Murano, a glassmaker bends over the furnace, coaxing color from fire.
—Big Think, 9 Oct. 2025
Perhaps the game bends the Chiefs’ way if fortune had smiled on Bolton on the next series, and the takeaway trend continued.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025
The mascara comes with a flexible brush that bends to extend your lashes, and it’s formulated with bamboo extract and other ingredients that volumize and hydrate your lashes.
—Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Additionally, while the show often bends the rules of ballroom for contestants, the tour does not.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2025
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 Nov. 2025
Light distorts, sound bends; the signal consumes the chamber, turning technology into liturgy.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
Stretching the limits The clip is reportedly designed to showcase Oli’s stability, joint articulation as well as movement control, through a series of exercises including side bends, leg lifts and splits.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
The series has a hazy, dreamlike quality in which narrative logic bends but emotional coherence holds.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
The tech — Loomia Electronic Layer (LEL) — is a flexible circuit sheet that bends, sketches, and survives in fabrics while carrying functions such as heating, lighting, or pressure detection.
—Jamie Landeau, Refinery29, 24 Sep. 2025
Sophisticated econometric forecasting models are bad at calling inflection points, when a lasting upward trend bends into a lasting downward one or vice versa.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 21 Sep. 2025
An Einstein Cross forms when the gravity of galaxies in the foreground bends and splits the light of a more distant galaxy into four distinct images.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Day and night aren't exactly 12 hours long on the day of the equinox because the Earth's atmosphere refracts, or bends, light in an optical illusion that results in more daylight.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
Plasma bends the rules To build the lens, scientists sent strong electrical pulses through hydrogen gas inside a narrow capillary tube.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2025
From galaxy rotation curves that defy Newton's laws to gravitational lensing that bends light in eerie ways, scientists have been piecing together clues about dark matter like interstellar sleuths.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Uchis has built a reputation as a bilingual and genre-fluid artist who bends musical boundaries with ease.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2025
From the other side, the highway takes off in Madison and then bends off the main road to the charming town of New Glarus.
—Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
In Murano, a glassmaker bends over the furnace, coaxing color from fire.
—Big Think, 9 Oct. 2025
Perhaps the game bends the Chiefs’ way if fortune had smiled on Bolton on the next series, and the takeaway trend continued.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025
The mascara comes with a flexible brush that bends to extend your lashes, and it’s formulated with bamboo extract and other ingredients that volumize and hydrate your lashes.
—Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025
Additionally, while the show often bends the rules of ballroom for contestants, the tour does not.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
Because a disposable pan bends so easily, place it on a broiler-safe sheet pan before putting it in the oven.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 Nov. 2025
Light distorts, sound bends; the signal consumes the chamber, turning technology into liturgy.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 24 Oct. 2025
Stretching the limits The clip is reportedly designed to showcase Oli’s stability, joint articulation as well as movement control, through a series of exercises including side bends, leg lifts and splits.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
The series has a hazy, dreamlike quality in which narrative logic bends but emotional coherence holds.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
The tech — Loomia Electronic Layer (LEL) — is a flexible circuit sheet that bends, sketches, and survives in fabrics while carrying functions such as heating, lighting, or pressure detection.
—Jamie Landeau, Refinery29, 24 Sep. 2025
Sophisticated econometric forecasting models are bad at calling inflection points, when a lasting upward trend bends into a lasting downward one or vice versa.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 21 Sep. 2025
An Einstein Cross forms when the gravity of galaxies in the foreground bends and splits the light of a more distant galaxy into four distinct images.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 20 Sep. 2025
Day and night aren't exactly 12 hours long on the day of the equinox because the Earth's atmosphere refracts, or bends, light in an optical illusion that results in more daylight.
—Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bends
Verb
-
These arches pivot together around common springing points to create a 40-degree tilt in just 4 minutes.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The Methodist church, a white wedding cake built in 1929, was a total loss; the town’s oldest commercial building, a grand colonnaded structure from 1924, looked like the Roman Forum, arches yawning around a central void.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Margolick devotes much space to the writers’ quarrels, their gripes, their resentment of one another.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Millard devotes a large amount of space to Bell in her book, ending with his agonizing failure, depicted in the end, to get the induction balance to work on Garfield as intended.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
This continuation aims to honor that legacy while exploring the modern challenges of identity, independence, and purpose facing a new generation.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Momcozy’s current mix aims to meet those basics, then layer on small improvements like softer bindings and smoother interior seams.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The trail brushes past the Bell Rock formation, then curves away from the road and crosses some red rock ledges offering impressive vistas.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Drawings of the Duffield Cave, as seen in the YouTube video, show that the section has a narrow entrance, then curves upward before flowing left, dropping down again and bending right before angling back up to a larger chamber.—
Mark Gray,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This dynamic suppresses wages and distorts labor competition.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Expecting others to adapt to us is a selfish gesture that distorts the spirit of travel.—
Wilson Santiago Burgos,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Vecna attaches one of the vines to Will's mouth, overriding his willpower and possessing him.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Vecna looks to the sky as a particularly off-putting tentacle emerges and attaches to Will’s mouth, pumping an unknown substance into his body.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Its outstanding appeal, grandish curvatures and extraordinary interior design are just the norm for the upscale interior brand.—
Marc D. Grasso,
Boston Herald,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Posture Changes Spine curvatures can make standing up straight difficult, causing lower right back pain.—
Brandi Jones,
Health,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But their messages avoid stark class attacks on billionaires and are more aimed at winning over swing voters rather than recruiting new supporters with progressive tilts.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
-
In Korea’s case, those economic issue include the immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia that saw hundreds of South Koreans detained; and in Japan’s by a trade deal with Washington that some analysts say tilts in the US’s favor.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bends. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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