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
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 Apr. 2026
In the footage the woman bends, loops her fingers around the laces, once, twice, grass stains on her knees.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
If all goes well, the Orion capsule will pass within about 4,100 miles of the moon on April 6, giving the astronauts an unprecedented view of the lunar far side as the moon's gravity bends the spacecraft's trajectory back toward Earth.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Enter the 2026 Chevrolet Trax, a compact crossover that bends the needle toward sanity and affordability.
—Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
The Niger River rises from its source in the Republic of Guinea and arcs north into Mali, then bends south through Niger and northern Nigeria.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
The history of medical screening in general, Durand says, bends toward looking for more earlier.
—David Oliver, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Pivetta has long possessed a fastball that moves about as much as any in the game and curveball that bends as sharply as any in the game and an intensity on the mound as feverish as any in the game.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Giant subterranean sandworms measuring 1,500 feet long; a narcotic that fuels interstellar travel and bends a user’s perception of space-time; a mystical cabal of eugenicist witches—the list goes on.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Mar. 2026
Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 25 Mar. 2026
By contrast, the second joint in each leg bends readily, but only sideways and outward, favoring efficient lateral locomotion.
—Manjishtha Bhattacharyya, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Mar. 2026
Mara Roszak used the ghd Chronos Curve Grand Iron to add some bends and worked a small amount of her Röz Evergreen Styling Cream through the ends to refine the shape and add soft definition.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 15 Mar. 2026
Crafted into undone bends, the style disguises flyaways and limp ends.
—Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2026
Navigating the subtle bends of the lake behind Englebright Dam, the vessel chugged across the otherwise still water, the late afternoon sun shimmering across the ripples in its wake.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026
The soft machine bends, snaps and resets itself automatically, powered entirely by material physics instead of chips or wires.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
The city or state bends over backward, only to have the company fail to deliver.
—Kathryn Anne Edwards, Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2026
The only light that can reach it is filtered through Earth's atmosphere, which scatters short wavelengths of light and bends longer red wavelengths inward.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
The design works by tracking how red, green, and blue light attenuate differently as the sensor bends.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 Apr. 2026
In the footage the woman bends, loops her fingers around the laces, once, twice, grass stains on her knees.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
If all goes well, the Orion capsule will pass within about 4,100 miles of the moon on April 6, giving the astronauts an unprecedented view of the lunar far side as the moon's gravity bends the spacecraft's trajectory back toward Earth.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Enter the 2026 Chevrolet Trax, a compact crossover that bends the needle toward sanity and affordability.
—Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026
The Niger River rises from its source in the Republic of Guinea and arcs north into Mali, then bends south through Niger and northern Nigeria.
—Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
The history of medical screening in general, Durand says, bends toward looking for more earlier.
—David Oliver, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Pivetta has long possessed a fastball that moves about as much as any in the game and curveball that bends as sharply as any in the game and an intensity on the mound as feverish as any in the game.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026
Giant subterranean sandworms measuring 1,500 feet long; a narcotic that fuels interstellar travel and bends a user’s perception of space-time; a mystical cabal of eugenicist witches—the list goes on.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Mar. 2026
Noun
As the temperature drops, the cold causes the protein to shift into a more stable state in which one of its key structural pillars bends sharply, breaks away from its neighbor and straightens out.
—Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 25 Mar. 2026
By contrast, the second joint in each leg bends readily, but only sideways and outward, favoring efficient lateral locomotion.
—Manjishtha Bhattacharyya, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Mar. 2026
Mara Roszak used the ghd Chronos Curve Grand Iron to add some bends and worked a small amount of her Röz Evergreen Styling Cream through the ends to refine the shape and add soft definition.
—Marci Robin, Allure, 15 Mar. 2026
Crafted into undone bends, the style disguises flyaways and limp ends.
—Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 6 Mar. 2026
Navigating the subtle bends of the lake behind Englebright Dam, the vessel chugged across the otherwise still water, the late afternoon sun shimmering across the ripples in its wake.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026
The soft machine bends, snaps and resets itself automatically, powered entirely by material physics instead of chips or wires.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Mar. 2026
The city or state bends over backward, only to have the company fail to deliver.
—Kathryn Anne Edwards, Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2026
The only light that can reach it is filtered through Earth's atmosphere, which scatters short wavelengths of light and bends longer red wavelengths inward.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bends
Verb
-
According to Archer Western, HDR’s design engineers failed to properly account for wind loads — including hurricane winds — in an initial, partial design for the signature bridge arches that the contractor used to calculate construction costs and time for its bid.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The front of the mouse arches down and spreads wide, suggesting the noggin of the snake it's named after.—
Zackery Cuevas,
PC Magazine,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Illinois devotes significant resources to recruiting overseas to bring in their large international contingent — including Croatian twin centers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivišić and freshman forward David Mirković.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
McGrath devotes a whole chapter to lunch.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Unlike current treatments that primarily manage symptoms by replacing dopamine, the experimental therapy aims to modify the disease itself, a shift experts describe as potentially transformative.—
Ted Scouten,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
His latest best seller, The Meaning of Your Life, aims to help anyone who finds that, even while enjoying successes by many measures, their existence feels empty.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In another panel, a man and child walk away from the town along a railroad track that curves up and to the left, and then disappears.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Frame the face in the most flattering way with a chin-length bob that curves ever so slightly under.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Obadia sees the Optimus question as evidence of how the racial framing itself distorts perception.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
8 Apr. 2026
-
To equate the suffering of Jesus with the circumstances of any political leader distorts the Gospel beyond recognition.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One side of the highly durable polyester bungee strap attaches to your suitcase’s handle, while the other wraps around your backpack, travel purse, or another bag and attaches to the suitcase’s telescoping handle.—
Nathan Allen,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Apr. 2026
-
But Wiener—and, indeed, self-preferencing’s opponents in general—overlooks basic facts of the digital economy and, to justify his sweeping regulatory proposals, attaches ominous labels to ordinary conduct.—
David B Mcgarry,
Oc Register,
9 Apr. 2026
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
-
In 2024, Kansas City went 11-0 in tilts decided by eight points or fewer.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
10 Mar. 2026
-
But the idea is that putting on clothes that are more formal tilts you more towards that abstract side.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bends. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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