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 bent
-
present perfectof bend.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
American Jews, exhausted by the nonsensical charge of disloyalty, have bent themselves into impressive contortions to demonstrate their bona fides as unambiguous, undivided, thoroughly unadulterated Americans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
The green panels have bent right over in front of the drop down to the pitch and there is blue and white police tape across the gap in the fence.
From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2025
"Prior interpretations of how saber tooths may have hunted use this as a constraint. No matter how they use their teeth, they could not have bent them a lot in a lateral direction."
From Science Daily ● Apr. 29, 2024
For example, Chong notes that some knives have bent handles that you hold like a pistol so that your middle finger is aligned with your forearm, making it a neutral position.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 22, 2023
The onion knight would have bent his knee, but a King’s Hand could not; to do so would suggest that the king he served was less than this fat lord.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
