1
as in inclinations
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
the perfect gift for a person of a literary bent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in talents
a special and usually inborn ability
having a decided bent for languages, he picked up Italian in no time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 bents
One of the first goals was to use existing Coast Guard advocates with change-agent bents to help guide Elon Musk’s DOGE staffers towards real, longstanding problems.
—
Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 8 Jan. 2026
And there are people with theological and philosophical bents who use the BGV theorem to bolster their preferred arguments over how the Universe ultimately began, with dubious and debatable results.
—Big Think, 24 Oct. 2025
Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 8 Jan. 2026
And there are people with theological and philosophical bents who use the BGV theorem to bolster their preferred arguments over how the Universe ultimately began, with dubious and debatable results.
—Big Think, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bents
Noun
-
This is the standard for ramp inclinations that are usable for most people, especially wheelchair users.—
K. Desbouis,
Artforum,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Trump’s inclinations to make every race about him could foul this for the GOP.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Bedwell needs her stable of presenters for this year, eligible to both men and women, to share their stories in this series of live original readings and performances by local artists and talents about the universe that is motherhood.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Designer Katie Martinez earned her stripes working with talents such as Nicole Hollis, the Wiseman Group, and the Rockwell Group before launching her own eponymous firm in 2013.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In particular, the anything-goes attitude of DIY venue ACS, where Han has performed with local cybergrind artist Supermotel K and Japan’s BBBBBB, has incubated his digital hardcore tendencies.—
James Gui,
Pitchfork,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The winter market was not going to be as turbulent as the summer 2025 one had been, but Villa’s tendencies under manager Unai Emery always carry intrigue.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.—
GRACIA LIU-FARRER,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Nov. 2025
-
More money is apt to make homeschooling worse and far less tailored to the individual student and their interests and aptitudes by encouraging parents to substitute pricey group programs for the requisite effort of individualized instruction.—
Marie Sapirie,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The driving rock guitars and layered vocal textures recall TV on the Radio’s experimentation, and Galanin shares certain vocal and political affinities with Moses Sumney.—
Petala Ironcloud,
Pitchfork,
20 Jan. 2026
-
China’s global influence is further constrained by weak cultural affinities with other countries.—
Zongyuan Zoe Liu,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
None of these gifts required spending money — just initiative and follow-through.—
Brian Page,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Teens in Relationships The key to exchanging gifts at this young age is to keep things low-key rather than spending a lot of money, according to experts.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Alienation of affections was largely recognized in the 1800s as a tort for when a female spouse was whisked away from her husband by a third party.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
-
But anyone willing to consider the thicket of fears, affections and recriminations that grows through the cracks of a long relationship will find in these pages an almost unbearable tenderness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And there are all sorts of knick-knacks — from hair clips to birdhouses that her dad makes.—
Bo Evans,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
-
These aren’t just knick knacks that will end up forgotten in the back of a closet.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bents. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
