bent on

1. Also, bent upon. Determined, resolved, as in Jamie is bent on winning the math prize. This phrase, first recorded in 1762, always uses the past participle of the verb bend in the sense of “tend toward.”

Example Sentences

Bangladesh made impressive economic gains on Ms. Hasina’s watch, but many of her compatriots came to see her as a corrupt autocrat bent on holding power at any cost.

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As the Democratic Party searches for direction in the post-2024 landscape, its leaders seem bent on alienating their own base over Gaza.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The storied university may pay out a huge settlement — rumored to be about $500 million — to pacify an administration increasingly bent on domination of American institutions.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Their stories of pain, struggle and resilience in the face of Jim Crow are crucial to honoring Black people’s place in history, especially under an administration bent on diluting or erasing those histories.

Read more on Salon

In some cases officers are trying to work out what to do about people bent on extreme violence, inspired by acts of terrorism, but who have no clear-cut ideology.

Read more on BBC