bend 1 of 2

1
2
3
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

4
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

5
6

bend

2 of 2

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
The Catholic Church in Venezuela bent the rules for the semiaquatic animal, allowing it to be eaten during Lent. Gary Shteyngart, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025 Arthropods—whether crabs or cockroaches—developed their own version: joints in their exoskeletons that allow these creatures to bend and scuttle. Bethany Brookshire, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2025
Noun
This phenomenon occurs as sunlight bends and scatters through Earth's atmosphere, casting warm hues onto the lunar surface, according to NASA. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025 Bells Bend Park: In the bend of the Cumberland west of town, Bells Bend Park is a favorite of the folks on the Nashville subreddit. Evan Mealins, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bend 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bend
Verb
  • Keeping your torso upright, inhale and arch your back, looking up toward the ceiling.
    Aubrey Bailey, PT, DPT, CHT, Verywell Health, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Adventure pulses through its hidden trails, arching waves, and steaming hot springs.
    Alexandra Gillespie, Outside Online, 16 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • That same year, the museum devoted $820,000 to an institutional rebrand.
    News Desk, Artforum, 24 Jan. 2025
  • There have been plenty of DNPs for Dillingham so far this season, some because coach Chris Finch is devoting more time to veterans to get the team going and some because Dillingham has had to deal with two ankle sprains already this season.
    Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Two new fund launches from Franklin Templeton aim to satisfy income-hungry investors who are looking for a new type of dividend fund.
    Jesse Pound, CNBC, 2 Feb. 2025
  • Destinations ranging from Venice, Italy to Bar Harbor, Maine have taken action aimed at curbing cruise traffic.
    Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 2 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Al Suave's curving roofs mimic the waves just steps away, while a flowing pool cuts through the property like the creek that divides the two sides of town.
    Natalie Stoclet, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
  • The site sits on the edge of Coffey Park, an unlikely haven in the middle of industrial Brooklyn with its curving walkways and 126 trees.
    Justin Davidson, Curbed, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Separately, the Media and Democracy Project filed a petition to deny a license renewal for WTXF-TV in Philadelphia, a station owned and operated by Fox, alleging that Fox willfully distorted news with false reports of fraud in the 2020 election that Trump lost.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 16 Jan. 2025
  • The movie, named after a popular 1950s song, evoked and distorted the midcentury suburban fantasy.
    Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Across her chest, Jenner wore a black crossbody bag strap with no visible bag attached.
    Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 28 Jan. 2025
  • Sony Pictures, which was unofficially attached to The Movie Critic, reportedly now plans to partner with Tarantino for whatever his next film will be instead.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • For those who can't part ways with symmetry, Bee suggests having some curvature or another interesting shape.
    John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
  • This mismatch causes field curvature, making stars at the image edges appear blurry.
    Gemma Lavender, Space.com, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Will Smith is turning his tilt back to music into a full-on topple.
    Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2025
  • Every winter in the high Arctic, for example, the sun, hidden by the tilt of the Earth, vanishes for months.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near bend

Cite this Entry

“Bend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bend. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on bend

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!