bent on

Idioms  

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.”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bent on

But Standard Oil finally went under the knife in 1911, split into 34 separate companies that sometimes seem like they are bent on reunifying.

From Barron's ● May 2, 2026

The regular crowd shots of the waiting room too often reduce the afflicted into a zombie-like horde bent on making life more difficult for our beloved medical staff.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026

Some companies are figuring out how to remake themselves as vital suppliers to Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and other “hyperscalers” bent on AI dominance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025

Beijing is bent on keeping the momentum going as it grapples with the U.S. for tech dominance, making autonomy in strategic sectors a core tenet of its five-year plan for the economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025

Enrique has spent forty-seven days bent on nothing but surviving.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario