as in twisting
marked by a long series of irregular curves
the river takes a long bending path to the sea
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devoting
to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention
bent herself to the task for the rest of the day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in attaching
to cause (something) to hold to another
bend a leash to the dog's collar
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bending
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2025
Joey Myron Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, Joey Myron is a truly dynamic force in his genre-bending approach to country music.
—Spin Contributor, SPIN, 3 Jan. 2025
Harris responded, bending over to give the boy a hug.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 3 Jan. 2025
The trial began though with pre-school drop-off where I was harshly reminded that bending over needed to be a thoughtful affair.
—Chloe Malle, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2024
Galaxy clusters are some of the most massive objects in all the Universe, bending space and revealing the presence of dark matter.
—Big Think, 30 Dec. 2024
Craft beer companies are bending the basic tenets of chemistry in an effort to make non-alcoholic IPAs, stouts, and other styles that more closely resemble their boozy cousins.
—Discover Magazine, 30 Dec. 2024
Yet as with Eggers’ three previous films — The Witch (2015), The Lighthouse (2019) and The Northman (2021) — such backwards-bending efforts are at the service of atmosphere above all else.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Dec. 2024
The Going Clear director accused the BBC of bending the knee to the Israeli prime minister in its coverage of the war in Gaza.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
The mayor himself is charged by Manhattan federal prosecutors with bending the normal workings of government in exchange for improper campaign contributions and flight upgrades.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2025
Joey Myron Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, Joey Myron is a truly dynamic force in his genre-bending approach to country music.
—Spin Contributor, SPIN, 3 Jan. 2025
Harris responded, bending over to give the boy a hug.
—Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 3 Jan. 2025
The trial began though with pre-school drop-off where I was harshly reminded that bending over needed to be a thoughtful affair.
—Chloe Malle, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2024
Galaxy clusters are some of the most massive objects in all the Universe, bending space and revealing the presence of dark matter.
—Big Think, 30 Dec. 2024
Craft beer companies are bending the basic tenets of chemistry in an effort to make non-alcoholic IPAs, stouts, and other styles that more closely resemble their boozy cousins.
—Discover Magazine, 30 Dec. 2024
Yet as with Eggers’ three previous films — The Witch (2015), The Lighthouse (2019) and The Northman (2021) — such backwards-bending efforts are at the service of atmosphere above all else.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Dec. 2024
The Going Clear director accused the BBC of bending the knee to the Israeli prime minister in its coverage of the war in Gaza.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 23 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bending
Verb
-
The former president embarked on a new phase of his career in public service, devoting his days to peacemaking and humanitarian efforts.—
Justin Doom,
ABC News,
29 Dec. 2024
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Unless the Heat moved off either of them in a separate deal—or as part of a bigger three-team trade—they'd be devoting more than $100 million to three somewhat duplicative guards.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes,
26 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The curving observation tower functions as a massive sundial and marks the changing of the seasons.—
Adam Williams,
New Atlas,
25 Dec. 2024
-
Its design is inspired by ancient Sun worship, as well as watchtowers that were once used to warn Chinese Emperors of seaborne attacks, and its curving form has been constructed from two layers of slanted concrete shells that echo the sound of the waves.—
Adam Williams,
New Atlas,
25 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Also, my third cousin twice removed posted on Facebook that a friend on Twitter read a post on Instagram that someone dressed like Bill Gates was airlifting Twinkies, attaching tiny little lights and dropping them by drone over Newark.—
Pat Beall,
Orlando Sentinel,
29 Dec. 2024
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If attaching to your kitchen backsplash, clean and dry the area thoroughly and apply the tape to the backsplash.—
Perri Ormont Blumberg,
Architectural Digest,
27 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Lexi Herrick Herrick after applying the Ilia Limitless Mascara.—
Nicola Dall'Asen,
Allure,
4 Jan. 2025
-
Law school in Houston After applying to Texas Southern University in Houston, the school dean called him and told him frankly that the school needed to recruit more Latino people to justify its existence with a diverse student body to the state legislature.—
Richard J. Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Republicans often invoke Soros's name in campaign rhetoric, casting him as a symbol of elite liberal influence.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
4 Jan. 2025
-
Speaking of voters, as one of the 50 AP voters, I am stressed about casting my ballot for league MVP this year.—
Dianna Russini,
The Athletic,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Joe Biden’s last weeks as president will be spent bowing to environmentalists by trying to permanently ban new offshore oil and natural gas.—
Andrew Follett,
National Review,
5 Jan. 2025
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This weekend, a cartoonist quit her job after an editor rejected her sketch of the newspaper's owner and other media executives bowing before the president-elect.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Andrew Greif Washington takes the lead, 10-7, after a long and winding drive lasting 11 plays, 78 yards and full of drama.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC News,
19 Jan. 2025
-
The film represented a major step on what turned out to be a long and winding road to his ultimate cinematic self-reinvention.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Waterproof mascaras rely on film-forming copolymers, which help with flexibility, holding the eyelash's curl, and boosting temperature resistance.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
24 Dec. 2024
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Shakespeare, affectionately known as ‘Two Balls Shakey’ because of his penchant for holding a ball under each arm in training and during warm-up drills, contributed hugely to two promotions from League One in 2009 and the Championship in 2014, the great escape of 2015 and the 5000-1 title success.—
Rob Tanner,
The Athletic,
24 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near bending
Cite this Entry
“Bending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bending. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
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