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
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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
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Recent Examples of bents
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
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
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Trump’s inclinations to make every race about him could foul this for the GOP.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The trick is to select a paint color that is calming and neutral enough so as not to be too visually demanding, while also speaking to your personal style and color inclinations.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
19 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That allows kids that do have more talents than the average student to move ahead faster, prepare for college and stuff, especially at the high school level.—
Alec Johnson,
jsonline.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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Bryant’s athletic talents and drive are just some of the standout qualities that continue to inspire young generations of athletes.—
Monica Haider,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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What Don’t Be Dumb does effectively, however, is reestablish Rocky’s auteur-ish tendencies for 2020s hip-hop, drawing throughline between his mixtape days and the raucous, rage-minded sounds that course through much of contemporary rap.—
Carl Lamarre,
Billboard,
29 Jan. 2026
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To tap into each other’s tendencies, to establish chemistry as pick-and-roll partners.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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The driving rock guitars and layered vocal textures recall TV on the Radio’s experimentation, and Galanin shares certain vocal and political affinities with Moses Sumney.—
Petala Ironcloud,
Pitchfork,
20 Jan. 2026
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China’s global influence is further constrained by weak cultural affinities with other countries.—
Zongyuan Zoe Liu,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Seoul Central District Court sentenced Kim Keon Hee for receiving luxury gifts such as a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel bag from the Unification Church in return for promises of political favors.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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South Korea’s anti-graft law bans public officials and their spouses from receiving gifts valued at more than $750 in connection with their public duties.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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These aren’t just knick knacks that will end up forgotten in the back of a closet.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
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Flamingo Island Flea Market Just off I-75 awaits a cornucopia of vintage decor, houseplants, pottery, and other knick-knacks.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bents. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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