as in crooked
given to or marked by cheating and deception
the drug dealer knew which of the cops were bent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tendency
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
the perfect gift for a person of a literary bent
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in knack
a special and usually inborn ability
having a decided bent for languages, he picked up Italian in no time
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in arched
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 devoted
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention
bent herself to the task for the rest of the day
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in aimed
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 curved
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 distorted
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 attached
to cause (something) to hold to another
bend a leash to the dog's collar
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bent
ABC News, 11 May 2026
There’s a reason fans are already covering his statue outside Truist Park — frozen forever in his signature stance, left arm resting on the dugout rail, left leg bent in that familiar crouch — with flowers, handwritten notes and heartfelt tributes.
—Jesús Cano, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 4 May 2026
That’s also in part a function of Paglen’s practice itself, which has long been critiqued for its didactic bent.
—Louis Bury, ARTnews.com, 1 May 2026
Dan Woike, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Kidman, a co-chair of the 2026 Met Gala, brought her daughter Sunday as her plus-one, though the 17-year-old’s attendance bent the event’s 18-and-over rule.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bent
Adjective
The justices are appointed by the legislature, which has flipped between the two parties in recent decades, and the body is generally not seen as having a clear ideological bent.
—ABC News, 11 May 2026
There’s a reason fans are already covering his statue outside Truist Park — frozen forever in his signature stance, left arm resting on the dugout rail, left leg bent in that familiar crouch — with flowers, handwritten notes and heartfelt tributes.
—Jesús Cano, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Noun
The takeover — which expands the pizzeria’s historic presence in Naples’ Rione Sanità district and its second location opened in Capri in 2024 — will also come with a charity bent.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 4 May 2026
That’s also in part a function of Paglen’s practice itself, which has long been critiqued for its didactic bent.
—Louis Bury, ARTnews.com, 1 May 2026
Verb
James bent his game around the Lakers’ backcourt, and the team tore through March like one of the best teams in the league, led by a surging MVP candidate in Dončić.
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Kidman, a co-chair of the 2026 Met Gala, brought her daughter Sunday as her plus-one, though the 17-year-old’s attendance bent the event’s 18-and-over rule.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bent
Adjective
-
Davis gave up the first run of the game, a 412-foot solo home run by Cameron Gurney in the top of the fourth inning, that was followed by a double that could have started a crooked inning for the Utes, but Davis picked off the runner at second base.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 May 2026
-
Giuliani was elected New York’s mayor in 1993 after serving as one of the nation’s highest-profile prosecutors, taking on mobsters and crooked Wall Street traders.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
People have a tendency to be pushy, aggressive and even compulsive today.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
15 May 2026
-
Since the materials are designed to be stain-resistant and water-repellant, this couch perfectly suits our tendency to eat and drink in the living room.—
Meg Kernahan,
Architectural Digest,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Reid has a knack for killing opposing breakaways and retrieving loose pucks, which makes up for not being the most physical defenseman at 6-foot-2, 187 pounds.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
One of Knudson-Freeman’s many knacks was research and development, according to Freeman, saying his mother always wanted the food chain’s menu to be craveable.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Back on the highway, the rearview mirror showed the clouds had lifted, the waters were still, and a rainbow had arched across the sky.—
Marlise Kast-Myers,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Sami’s hair and beard were gray, and his thick eyebrows arched over his tired walnut eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ted Turner, one of America’s largest private landowners, devoted decades to transforming 3,125 square miles of ranches into conservation laboratories across six states.—
Susan Montoya Bryan,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
Walker was a transformative leader during his dozen years atop the Ford Foundation, one of the nation’s most active nonprofits devoted improve the quality of life for people around the world.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Cclime is known for non-invasive contouring popular with Korean celebrities, aimed at reducing puffiness and sculpting the face.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
-
Theodore Skondras, 23, a master’s student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, applied to accelerator Y Combinator with a coding project aimed at making payments between AI agents more trustworthy.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The heavier dust particles are pushed back by sunlight, forming a broad, often curved tail that reflects sunlight according to Swinburne University of Technology.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Video emerged online showing a red Ferrari shooting out of a tunnel along the highway at a high speed, slamming into a concrete barrier where the road curved and erupting into flames.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
California’s regulations have distorted prices and, consequently, masked risk.—
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
-
Vaccine discussions continue to be distorted by bad-faith actors and overconfident non-clinicians.—
Adam Goodcoff,
STAT,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bent. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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