as in curved
marked by a long series of irregular curves
the river takes a long bending path to the sea
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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in arching
to cause to turn away from a straight line
she bent the blade of the knife when she got it jammed in the drawer
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2
as in devoting
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention
bent herself to the task for the rest of the day
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3
as in aiming
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 curving
to turn away from a straight line or course
the stream bends slightly to the east
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5
as in distorting
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 attaching
to cause (something) to hold to another
bend a leash to the dog's collar
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bending
Carmen Sesin, NBC news, 8 Jan. 2026
Pull your breastbone toward the bar by bending your elbows.
—Greg Presto, Outside, 7 Jan. 2026
China has eclipsed its own – and the US – record, building a monster underground hypergravity centrifuge that can model scenarios with 1,900 times the real-world gravitational force of Earth, bending space and time with unprecedented power.
—New Atlas, 7 Jan. 2026
Is bending a blade of grass damage?
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 7 Jan. 2026
Within that form, bending but never breaking, Smith excels at tonal range.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
La Bola Negra Spanish duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who are known collectively as Los Javos, first made waves with genre-bending thriller La Mesias.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 1 Jan. 2026
Juliet and the other women (as well as a gender-bending supporting character) wind their way toward triumphant independence in the narrative.
—Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, manuka honey and yogurt proteins help replenish strength where curls are most prone to bending stress, supporting elasticity and bounce.
—Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 31 Dec. 2025
Verb
The announcement could be the first sign that the new government is open to returning some freedom of expression to the country, and bending to pressure from opposition groups and the American government.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for bending
Adjective
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Further, this development enhances the potential of renewable energy by unlocking perovskite’s ability to be printed onto flexible surfaces, such as curved windows, lightweight camping gear, and even clothing fabrics.—
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Then Kim brings another rock from behind his back, a small, curved black stone.—
Verb
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Keep your core tight and avoid arching your back.—
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Shiny and dark evergreen foliage is held aloft on strong, arching stems mottled with purple flecks.—
Verb
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Then there is the steady stream of profiles on tech billionaires joylessly devoting themselves to maximizing their lifespan.—
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From the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal to CNN and even Fox News, nearly all the country’s major newsrooms are in the thrall of this vision of politics, devoting untold amounts of energy to technocratic commentary and polling.—
Verb
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The Hoosier Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.—
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The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.—
Verb
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At first glance, the choker reprises the incisions and delicately curving edges meant to evoke Chanel’s distinctive quilting, with a sliding clasp closure to adjust it closely to the neck.—
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Later came scores on a free kick and curving corner kick to help account for a 4-0 halftime lead.—
Verb
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Today, tariffs are distorting international trade, conflict is raging with Russia’s war on Ukraine, there have been flare-ups between Israel and Iran and the US is seizing oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela.—
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Economists cautioned that recent data should be interpreted carefully, as a 43-day federal government shutdown disrupted the collection of household data, potentially distorting figures on employment.—
Verb
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Along with signalling affluence, clothes became wearable purses for travelers and attaching ones coins to a vest instead of carrying a bag was an easy way to avoid theft.—
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The drain outlets feature 40-mm valves for attaching a hose to better manage and direct the drainage flow or connect to a campsite drainage hookup.—
Verb
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Also mentioned is an auto-hitch system to simplify hooking it up to the tow vehicle.—
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The great Amazon in its north drains large areas as does the Parana-River Plate watershed to its south that reaches the Atlantic in the estuary between Argentina and Uruguay, The San Francisco flows north for hundreds of miles before hooking a right and dropping to the Atlantic.—
Cite this Entry
“Bending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bending. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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