1
as in inclinations
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
the perfect gift for a person of a literary bent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in talents
a special and usually inborn ability
having a decided bent for languages, he picked up Italian in no time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bents
Among his work was co-creating shows such as Righteous Gemstones, Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals, all for HBO and with strong, over-the-top comedic bents.
—
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
The Olympic Games provide an opportunity for Americans of all political bents to come together to root for Team USA.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 23 Feb. 2026
One of the first goals was to use existing Coast Guard advocates with change-agent bents to help guide Elon Musk’s DOGE staffers towards real, longstanding problems.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 8 Jan. 2026
And there are people with theological and philosophical bents who use the BGV theorem to bolster their preferred arguments over how the Universe ultimately began, with dubious and debatable results.
—Big Think, 24 Oct. 2025
Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
The Olympic Games provide an opportunity for Americans of all political bents to come together to root for Team USA.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 23 Feb. 2026
One of the first goals was to use existing Coast Guard advocates with change-agent bents to help guide Elon Musk’s DOGE staffers towards real, longstanding problems.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 8 Jan. 2026
And there are people with theological and philosophical bents who use the BGV theorem to bolster their preferred arguments over how the Universe ultimately began, with dubious and debatable results.
—Big Think, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bents
Noun
-
Samuel Alito’s inclinations have not been hard to discern lately.—
Peter S. Canellos,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Even in the present tense, the characters express no political opinions, taste in movies and music, hobbies—or backstories that shape such inclinations.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Country music star Brad Paisley will be bringing his talents to the Grandstand at this year's Minnesota State Fair.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Therefore, for the show to truly succeed in leaving the audience in a state of ambiguity about the relationship, both leads must be megawatt talents.—
Julia Edelstein,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While Heuermann could hold the key to previously-unknown details surrounding the inner workings of a serial killer’s mind, Burgess cautions the ability to work alongside the FBI could feed into any narcissistic tendencies that are frequently observed in the most heinous criminals.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Some have been critical of Chiu’s crowd-pleasing tendencies.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
-
More money is apt to make homeschooling worse and far less tailored to the individual student and their interests and aptitudes by encouraging parents to substitute pricey group programs for the requisite effort of individualized instruction.—
Marie Sapirie,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Szabo’s affinities are hardly a secret.—
Alex Cuadros,
ProPublica,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The caveat is jurors and audiences at home are not allowed to vote for their own country; geopolitical affinities or rivalries often supersede talent.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Memorial gifts may be sent to the Clemson University Foundation, the Frank and Sarah Gentry Endowment, at 220 Mandarin Center Drive, Clemson, SC 29634.—
Chase Jordan
April 9,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Other gifts included a traditional Bedouin tent and tables, cushions and carpets that Epstein later set up on his island.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Alienation of affections was largely recognized in the 1800s as a tort for when a female spouse was whisked away from her husband by a third party.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
-
But anyone willing to consider the thicket of fears, affections and recriminations that grows through the cracks of a long relationship will find in these pages an almost unbearable tenderness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
From clothing to toys, knick-knacks to collectibles, all sorts of items were seen for sale on Saturday.—
Heather McRea,
Oc Register,
10 Mar. 2026
-
At least Stijn Verhoeven and Ewa Mroczkowska’s nuanced production design for the interiors, including bourgeois homes full of kitschy knick-knacks, anonymous office spaces and frigidly austere villas, tell a story of their own about the material culture of the era.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bents. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
