bend 1 of 2

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as in to aim
to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal bent all of his efforts toward making his first documentary film

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in to curve
to turn away from a straight line or course the stream bends slightly to the east

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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bend

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noun

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bend
Verb
Using your body to brace doors and windows Those who have been through major hurricanes may tell you of the surreal visual of watching their doors and windows bending to the pressure from the winds. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 May 2025 Earlier this month, the Department of Education froze all federal grant funding to Harvard over their refusal to bend to their demands. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025
Noun
In north-central Kentucky, emergency officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for Falmouth, a town of 2,000 people in a bend of the rising Licking River. Bruce Schreiner and Obed Lamy, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2025 Research now shows there’s no universal neutral body posture in zero-gravity environments, but there are certain commonalities between the postures, including maintaining a neutral spine, with a slight bend in the knees and arms. Caroline C. Boyle, USA Today, 17 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for bend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bend
Verb
  • Cats typically show affection by arching their back against you, meowing, purring, following you around, or sleeping near you at night.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
  • Cuomo, who was already seated, warily arched his eyebrows.
    Eric Lach, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Verb
  • However, manufacturers should devote similar attention to their return on data.
    Simon Dae Oong Kim, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • As one of vanishingly few Palestinian American voices in Hollywood, Amer might have devoted what would, unfortunately, be his show’s final season to current events.
    Judy Berman, Time, 3 June 2025
Verb
  • The majority of its customers are in Britain, but the firm is also aiming to expand overseas.
    Robert Olsen, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
  • The international co-production aims to inspire marine conservation efforts globally.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • Of course, Apple will have thought of this and curved the edges, for instance, to mitigate this.
    David Phelan, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
  • Halfway into the decade, the company's latest sustainability report released Thursday shows the software giant has a long way to go to meet that goal but may be starting to bend its emissions curve downward.
    Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • Noise can distort observations and introduce uncertainties into the data, Zhang said.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
  • The history of financial regulation has clarified the problems with this approach, but somehow that history still gets badly distorted.
    Norbert Michel, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • Bradley has a lot of fear attached, but also relief.
    Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2025
  • That email had another deepfake attached, The Guardian noted.
    Ashley Belanger – May 27, ArsTechnica, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • Fuller suffered from a curvature of the spine, which made her slouch, and from myopia, which made her squint.
    James Marcus, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
  • Through the capsule’s large panoramic windows, the crew will see the planet's curvature and the stark contrast between the bright blue atmosphere and the blackness of space.
    Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 30 May 2025
Noun
  • The team’s flight bound for Oklahoma City for a Game 1 tilt with the Thunder was detoured by literal thunder and forced to land in Tulsa, Oklahoma, due to a tornado warning in the capital Tuesday afternoon.
    Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 3 June 2025
  • Slight eucalyptus tilt in this semi-complex wine with a supple mouth feel.
    Tom Mullen, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bend. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.

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