Synonyms of bends

bends 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of bend

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

• arches
• hooks
• curves
• bows
• twists
• swerves
• curls
• turns
• waves
• crooks
• deflects
• veers
• swirls
• rounds
• inflects
• reflects
• weaves
• arcs
• loops
• diverts
• coils
• spirals
• warps
• meanders
• kinks
• inclines
• winds
• entwines
• twines
• slopes
• dents
• dimples
• incurves
• incurvates
• enrolls
• declines

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightens
• unbends
• uncurls

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

• devotes
• applies
• gives
• buckles
• commits
• addresses
• gets cracking
• works
• gets with it
• turns one's hand
• spends
• sets (to)
• gets one's act together
• settles (down)
• reapplies
• stresses
• exerts
• exhausts
• engages
• involves
• troubles
• busies
• concerns
• humps
• wears out
• readdresses
• knuckles down
• hustles
• plows
• taxes
• grinds
• plunges (in)
• strains
• puts out
• plods
• pitches in
• carries on
• plugs (away)
• pegs (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• plays
• idles
• dawdles
• dallies
• fools around
• fiddles (around)
• trifles
• putters (around)
• messes around
• monkeys (around)
• potters (around)
• dillydallies

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

• aims
• casts
• directs
• holds
• heads
• sets
• levels
• trains
• focuses
• pinpoints
• steers
• sights
• faces
• concentrates
• inclines
• orients
• bears

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• curves
• deflects
• diverts
• shunts
• averts
• detours
• sidetracks
• rechannels

4

as in curves

to turn away from a straight line or course

the stream bends slightly to the east

Synonyms & Similar Words

• curves
• sweeps
• bows
• turns
• arches
• swerves
• trends
• rounds
• winds
• falls off
• wheels
• loops
• hooks
• arcs
• curls
• spirals
• circles
• coils
• crooks
• curlicues
• twists
• deviates
• veers

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightens

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

• distorts
• misrepresents
• twists
• warps
• slants
• falsifies
• cooks
• perverts
• misinterprets
• complicates
• misstates
• obscures
• garbles
• colors
• fudges
• misrelates
• confuses
• censors
• mistakes
• misspeaks
• masks
• disguises
• dissembles
• misdescribes
• mistranslates
• camouflages
• bowdlerizes
• whitewashes
• veils
• lies
• glosses (over)
• prevaricates
• belies
• mystifies
• equivocates
• mixes (up)
• palters
• confounds
• fibs

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• explains
• interprets
• illustrates
• clarifies
• illuminates
• spells out
• clears (up)
• deciphers

6

as in attaches

to cause (something) to hold to another

bend a leash to the dog's collar

Synonyms & Similar Words

• attaches
• affixes
• ties
• glues
• connects
• clips
• fastens
• straps
• fixes
• adheres
• clamps
• hangs
• clenches
• sticks
• pins
• links
• screws
• clasps
• harnesses
• tackles
• tacks
• nails
• clinches
• latches
• rivets
• toggles
• joins
• yokes
• lashes
• staples
• cinches
• shackles
• bolts
• laces
• unites
• reattaches
• pastes
• buttons
• plasters
• coapts
• hasps
• refastens
• resecures
• reaffixes
• battens
• refixes
• belays
• does up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• detaches
• splits
• undoes
• unfastens
• unhooks
• divides
• parts
• disconnects
• separates
• severs
• dissociates
• breaks up
• divorces
• loosens
• uncouples
• sunders
• disjoins
• looses
• disunites
• unties
• dissevers
• disjoints
• unlinks
• unbinds
• unyokes
• unfixes
• unlashes

bends

2 of 2

noun

plural of bend

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

• curves
• curvatures
• turns
• angles
• winds
• folds
• bows
• arches
• arcs
• crooks
• inflections
• twists
• corners
• curls
• slopes
• warps
• windings
• coils
• loops
• rings
• swirls
• spirals
• circles
• inclines
• buckles
• kinks
• convolutions
• reflections
• rounds
• ringlets
• flexures
• curlicues
• inclinations
• hairpins
• declines
• doglegs
• incurvatures
• turnoffs

2

as in tilts

the act of positioning or an instance of being positioned at an angle

did knee bends for exercise

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tilts
• tips
• lists
• cocks
• nods
• inclinations
• twists
• anglings
• turns
• dips
• bows
• veers

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bends

Verb

As the motor pulls the tendons, the tail bends into an S-shape, creating the side-to-side motion that quietly moves the whole device forward. — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 8 Sep. 2026

Authorities said Garcia was speeding down River Road, a two-lane highway that bends with the river, when the road turned. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Once again, Anna takes the bait and, once again, the stranger bends the rules. — Damon Wise, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2026

To study dark energy, Roman will measure how gravity bends light across large cosmic distances — creating a 3D map of dark matter in the process. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Plus, there are packable options like the Shupua Women’s Lace Flats at $22, which feature a flexible sole that bends in half to save precious suitcase space. — Julia Morlino, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026

Because of its large field of view, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will help researchers better understand dark matter by capturing how the phenomenon's gravity bends light and distorts a galaxy's shape. — Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026

The remainder of the moon will take on a reddish-brown hue because sunlight bends around Earth and illuminates the lunar surface indirectly. — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Wood is a naturally porous material that bends and expands with changes in temperature and moisture. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2026

Noun

In bending experiments, the chip showed no performance degradation after thousands of bends around small cylinders. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026

The pipe takes multiple bends before feeding into a handmade box muffler that doubles as a functional heat shield. — New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026

The long, glacial structure’s facade tightens, bends and twists. — Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

The world of the show isn’t perfect, but its characters are kind in the face of obstacles, and each half-hour arc bends reassuringly toward justice. — Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026

Risk assessments should examine where a river bends, where slopes are unstable and where a single failure could cut off several communities. — Victoria Milko, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

To be fair, the larger creative arc of Hollywood bends towards unoriginality — just look no further than the sequel-laden film release calendars. — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s signature boho bends were another defining example of Surf Spray’s cool-girl appeal. — Lauren Valenti, InStyle, 31 July 2026

The course then winds through a series of bends before leading drivers onto 7th Street. — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 20 July 2026