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
Reese and Rice were visibly tired late in the second half, bending over and gasping for breath during multiple breaks in the action. Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025 Movement test: Raise your arms, bend over, and move around. Bianca London, Glamour, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
West Elm Myla Side Storage Bed $1,999 $1,700 West Elm Specs: The slight bend of the headboard gives this platform bed a touch of midcentury-modern style. Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 13 Mar. 2025 Single-Leg Deadlift Move Type: Strength How to Do It: Stand with feet hip-width apart; keep a soft bend in both knees. Alyssa Ages, Outside Online, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bend
Verb
  • The arching windows inside the convention center reflect an architect’s genius.
    Scott Herhold, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Over and over, its head arched up as if to take in the sun, and then flopped backward as if its bones had liquified.
    Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Resist the toxic kind of purpose There is a relentless pressure to devote our energy to big P Purpose.
    Dr. Jordan Grumet, Contributor, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2025
  • He was recently baptized and now devotes much of his platform to his newfound Christian faith.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Moments later, prosecutors said during a bench trial this week, the two men aimed their guns, then fired.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Musk stated that the merger aims to combine xAI's advanced AI capabilities with X's extensive user base, enhancing user experiences and accelerating technological progress.
    Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The most recent of the roadway fatalities took place about 7:45 a.m. Monday, when a westbound Ford SUV veered off a curving stretch of Gopher Canyon Road in Bonsall and crashed into a ditch near Valley of the King Road, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office.
    City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025
  • The connection to contemporary art also informs the design of the bottle, which was inspired by the curving landforms of Charles Jencks’ Cells of Life at Jupiter Artland.
    Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Rosenworcel also dismissed a challenge to a Fox station license alleging that Fox willfully distorted news with false reports of fraud in the 2020 election that Trump lost.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 7 Apr. 2025
  • Importers have already scrambled to front-load shipments ahead of tariff hikes, distorting gross domestic product growth figures in Q1 2025 while setting up a drag for Q2.
    Bob Haber, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • So far, the MSS team has worked alongside its partners to install more than 87,000 Reef Stars with approximately 1.3 million corals attached.
    Cat Cardenas, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
  • In a building attached to the home, officers discovered the bodies of a 37-year-old woman and her three children, ages 2, 5 and 7, authorities said.
    Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Golfers will have to know their swing speed, while also providing their handicap index, and answering questions about ball flight trajectory, tempo and transition, the general curvature of their tee shots with a driver, and the flex of the shaft in their current driver.
    Erik Matuszewski, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
  • The greater the mass, the more extreme the curvature of space-time, and the stronger the influence of gravity.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • However, the actions Trump has taken on tariffs and his tilt toward Russia and away from Ukraine are creating a backlash, as America’s allies realize the U.S. may no longer be a trusted partner.
    Nick Sargen, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
  • But there the then-junior was at 5 a.m. on the morning of Hopkins’ title tilt against Stillwater, puking.
    Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 3 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bend. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

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