1
as in distant
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others
the commanding officer's unbending reserve when dealing with subordinates
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
the school's new headmaster is reputed to be an unbending disciplinarian
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in straightening
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unbending
Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 1 Oct. 2021
His voice was deep, brawny, and plaintive; his look delicate but unbending and intense.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2021
Taking fright, however, was not in his character, Mr. Putsila said in an interview at the office of Nexta, the opposition news organization where Mr. Protasevich established himself as one of Mr. Lukashenko’s most effective and unbending critics.
—New York Times, 25 May 2021
Extremists in Afghanistan, in essence, control both sides of that equation — keeping up the violence to help their position in talks now, while holding to their goal of a return to an unbending Islamic rule later.
—Mujib Mashal, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2020
See all Example Sentences for unbending 
Adjective
Adding to McConnell's unbending position on the debt ceiling is Democrats' efforts to pass a sweeping $3.5 trillion package that would expand the social safety net and combat climate change.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 1 Oct. 2021
His voice was deep, brawny, and plaintive; his look delicate but unbending and intense.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2021
Taking fright, however, was not in his character, Mr. Putsila said in an interview at the office of Nexta, the opposition news organization where Mr. Protasevich established himself as one of Mr. Lukashenko’s most effective and unbending critics.
—New York Times, 25 May 2021
Extremists in Afghanistan, in essence, control both sides of that equation — keeping up the violence to help their position in talks now, while holding to their goal of a return to an unbending Islamic rule later.
—Mujib Mashal, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2020
See all Example Sentences for unbending
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unbending
Adjective
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Launched in 2023, Euclid is a wide-angle space telescope developed to learn more about the history and expansion of the universe by studying the redshift of distant galaxies.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
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Einstein rings are examples of strong gravitational lensing, O’Riordan said, a phenomenon that acts like a magnifying glass in the universe, revealing celestial objects and light from distant galaxies that would otherwise remain unseen.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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America’s stubborn division was reflected at the nation on the largest stage possible.—
Kevin Dolak,
The Hollywood Reporter,
10 Feb. 2025
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The telescope now named for her will help unravel the stubborn mystery surrounding it.—
Jeffrey Kluger/Greenbelt,
TIME,
8 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Some Black women have turned to consistent heat-styling and chemical straightening treatments to more easily manage their natural hair.—
Annie Blay,
Allure,
23 Dec. 2024
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Lift the barbell by straightening your legs and back simultaneously, keeping your core engaged and your back flat.—
Sarah Jividen,
Verywell Health,
13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The fire was reported about 12:30 p.m. Sunday in the 1800 block of Sims Avenue in St. Paul in a detached garage, said Jeremiah Melquist, assistant fire chief for the St. Paul Fire Department, who gave the following information about the fire.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
9 Feb. 2025
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Of course, there’s also the aforementioned detached garage for the avid car enthusiast.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The arbitration ruling is vindication of sorts for the buyers, who have been adamant over the past year that Taylor was delaying the inevitable.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
10 Feb. 2025
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Head coach Leon Rice was adamant his team would heat up from three, but the 3-point shooting remained spotty.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Around mid-March when consistently warm weather arrives, trim the plants back as needed while removing cold damage or declining leaves.—
Tom MacCubbin,
Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2025
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Besides pulling air from underground, the system will also be able to exchange hot and cold air between the two spaces, depending on the need.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Amid recent efforts to challenge, or in some cases, completely erase the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), the National Football League (NFL) remains steadfast in its commitment to embracing and celebrating all people.—
John Lawson,
Essence,
10 Feb. 2025
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Universal Music Group has remained steadfast in their claims that there was no foul play involved with the record and its popularity was simply, organically due to the quality of the song.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Just let your mind think about what would be cool, what would be fun and life-affirming about the idea of having meaningful connections with more people in your life.—
Malaka Gharib,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2025
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The Inn at the Old Jail is a wildly cool home base.—
Jenny Adams,
AFAR Media,
11 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near unbending
Cite this Entry
“Unbending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unbending. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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