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
Brian Robin, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026
The River Thames bends round in a horseshoe shape, easy for a bombardier to target.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Until then, life bends around the electricity timetable.
—Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2026
Drunk on power The arc of tyranny bends toward degradation.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Which bends, the man or the law?
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
This process — called Rayleigh scattering — scatters shorter-wavelength blue light and bends longer-wavelength red light toward the moon.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The resurgence of black tie signals a new era of menswear where tradition bends, and Black style leads.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 21 Jan. 2026
Perfidia bends over and pushes Lockjaw onto the bed, and there’s a silhouette against the back wall.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
David Ostendorf, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
That path through air bends and filters sunlight, scattering blues and letting reds and oranges linger, often creating a razor-thin gradient that stretches thousands of miles along the planet's curve.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2026
For a style like Kerry Washington’s, blow-dry your hair straight, then create loose bends using a flatiron.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
Luckily, a side effect of knuckle cracking is not the bends—or even a case of arthritis.
—Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
Ultimately, says Kumar, the best way to avoid these issues is to store your passport securely, keep it dry, and make sure nothing bends or presses on it, including back pockets or overstuffed bags.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 11 Dec. 2025
To calculate the expansion rate, the team also needed to estimate how mass is distributed inside the lensing galaxies, because the shape of the lens determines how light bends.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 7 Dec. 2025
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
The series has a hazy, dreamlike quality in which narrative logic bends but emotional coherence holds.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
There is a contrarian streak that runs through John Bonner, a streak that takes the improbable and bends it to the possible — before bringing it to reality.
—Brian Robin, Oc Register, 28 Jan. 2026
The River Thames bends round in a horseshoe shape, easy for a bombardier to target.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Until then, life bends around the electricity timetable.
—Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2026
Drunk on power The arc of tyranny bends toward degradation.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Which bends, the man or the law?
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
This process — called Rayleigh scattering — scatters shorter-wavelength blue light and bends longer-wavelength red light toward the moon.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The resurgence of black tie signals a new era of menswear where tradition bends, and Black style leads.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 21 Jan. 2026
Perfidia bends over and pushes Lockjaw onto the bed, and there’s a silhouette against the back wall.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 21 Jan. 2026
Noun
It has long been said that the arc of the moral universe bends towards justice.
—David Ostendorf, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
That path through air bends and filters sunlight, scattering blues and letting reds and oranges linger, often creating a razor-thin gradient that stretches thousands of miles along the planet's curve.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2026
For a style like Kerry Washington’s, blow-dry your hair straight, then create loose bends using a flatiron.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 13 Jan. 2026
Luckily, a side effect of knuckle cracking is not the bends—or even a case of arthritis.
—Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Popular Science, 7 Jan. 2026
Ultimately, says Kumar, the best way to avoid these issues is to store your passport securely, keep it dry, and make sure nothing bends or presses on it, including back pockets or overstuffed bags.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 11 Dec. 2025
To calculate the expansion rate, the team also needed to estimate how mass is distributed inside the lensing galaxies, because the shape of the lens determines how light bends.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 7 Dec. 2025
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
The series has a hazy, dreamlike quality in which narrative logic bends but emotional coherence holds.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bends
Verb
-
Instead, look to modern lattices, scallops, and arches for a timeless feel that’s still up to date.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Note, however, the Vision XL is also essentially one big 10-in-tall block with a completely flat roof, whereas some hardshell RTTs, including the Skycamp, have roof designs with a high point that arches down toward the front and/or back.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, the saddest novel ever written, devotes some space to the description of just such a device, the earliest example of a fictional machine capable of writing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Jan. 2026
-
But the governor also devotes several pages to providing his side of the story from the 2024 search for a vice-presidential candidate, after Harris wrote a detailed account of the traditionally secretive process, which included a less-than-warm meeting with Shapiro.—
Toluse Olorunnipa,
The Atlantic,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Der Pavilion aims to become a cultural pillar in the Engadin mountain region, serving as an enduring event throughout the ski season and beyond, Pace told WWD.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The country aims to scale up the proportion of SAF to between 7% and 10% by 2035.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
About 10 minutes outside Page is Horseshoe Bend, where the Colorado curves through the vibrant red rock, making for a magnificent sight.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Maggie Daley Park Chicago The quarter-mile outdoor skating ribbon in Maggie Daley Park—with 27,500 feet of ice surface—is a looping path with slight elevation changes that curves past pine trees, a rock climbing wall, and a gorgeous city view.—
Erika Ebsworth-Goold,
Midwest Living,
4 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That warping distorts the image in the same way that wearing someone else’s glasses blurs your sight.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
25 Jan. 2026
-
My biggest pet-peeve is when the comforter escapes from the duvet cover enclosures and ends up as a wadded mess that distorts the entire bedding set up.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The selfish tyrant attaches himself only to those others who share his selfishness, who are eager to wear the mask of perpetual lying.—
David Brooks,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
-
For a snowflake to form, a freezing water droplet attaches itself to one of those floating dust, soot, or pollen particles.—
Laura Kiniry,
Popular Science,
22 Jan. 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
-
Warhorses charge, lances down, crashing through the tilts as lances break on shields and men topple from their steeds.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The Kings will kiss off the Pacific briefly after these two games, but will play five straight intradivision tilts spread across the beginning and end of the Olympic break next month.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bends. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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