bend
verb (used with object)
to force (an object, especially a long or thin one) from a straight form into a curved or angular one, or from a curved or angular form into some different form.
have been bending
-
present perfect progressiveof bend.present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And at a national level, politicians have been bending the same way, from France to Spain and Belgium.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 24, 2024
By resisting and heel-dragging when they should have been bending over backward to clean up, they have burned through nine lives and run up giant tabs in the last-chance saloon.
From Washington Times ● May 13, 2016
Colin was new at the club; I should have been bending over backwards for him.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 7, 2014
But in the great tradition of teenagers challenging authority, students at schools that require uniforms have been bending the rules a bit, showing up to class in cargo shorts, leggings and yoga pants.
From New York Times ● Sep. 2, 2011
We have been bending all our efforts to the reformation of the cities.
From That Fortune by Charles Dudley Warner
