as in to straighten
to cause to follow a line that is without bends or curls
the new highway will largely unbend that twisting path that the old road used to follow
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Recent Examples of unbend
The social hierarchy is unbending, but Flora knows she is destined for something greater, even though this puts her at odds with her superiors.
—
Vogue, 29 July 2025
The paper watch sensors survived preliminary stress testing that involved bending and unbending for 300 cycles.
—IEEE Spectrum, 9 Jan. 2017
Ceaseless in his service, unbending in his dignity, and revered for his commitment to our common humanity.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 29 Dec. 2024
Conway’s initials tasks were to unbend the chassis, straighten the body, and rebuild the engine.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 2 Dec. 2024
Both scenes are memorable and stunning in a solid, not remarkable, film that warmly celebrates the unbending love shared between a mother and a son and the courage and bravery of Londoners during The Blitz.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Despite some pleas from Trump apologists who still pony up cash to the organizations operating under the Koch umbrella, the leadership remains unbending in their decision to stay out of the presidential race altogether.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 5 Sep. 2024
Enter settlers and swindlers, pioneers and politicians, all bent on unbending the river, ecosystems and human bodies deemed expendable along the way as engineers forced their will on the landscape.
—Meera Subramanian, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
At the heart of this capacious, occasionally baggy narrative is Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, who plays Wilkerson in a stunning central performance that calls on her to be stoic and unbending one moment, and shakily vulnerable the next.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2024
Vogue, 29 July 2025
The paper watch sensors survived preliminary stress testing that involved bending and unbending for 300 cycles.
—IEEE Spectrum, 9 Jan. 2017
Ceaseless in his service, unbending in his dignity, and revered for his commitment to our common humanity.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 29 Dec. 2024
Conway’s initials tasks were to unbend the chassis, straighten the body, and rebuild the engine.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 2 Dec. 2024
Both scenes are memorable and stunning in a solid, not remarkable, film that warmly celebrates the unbending love shared between a mother and a son and the courage and bravery of Londoners during The Blitz.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Despite some pleas from Trump apologists who still pony up cash to the organizations operating under the Koch umbrella, the leadership remains unbending in their decision to stay out of the presidential race altogether.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 5 Sep. 2024
Enter settlers and swindlers, pioneers and politicians, all bent on unbending the river, ecosystems and human bodies deemed expendable along the way as engineers forced their will on the landscape.
—Meera Subramanian, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
At the heart of this capacious, occasionally baggy narrative is Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, who plays Wilkerson in a stunning central performance that calls on her to be stoic and unbending one moment, and shakily vulnerable the next.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unbend
straighten
Verb
-
Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Aug. 2025
-
With your feet and toes flexed toward you, straighten your knees to lift the weight up, squeezing your quadriceps at the top.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unbend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unbend. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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