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   bend

   /bɛnd/

   verb

   • 1. shape or force (something straight) into a curve or angle: "the wire has to be bent back tightly" Similar curvecrookmake crookedmake curvedflexanglehookbowarcarchbucklewarpcontortdistortdeformtwistspiralcoilcurlloopOpposite straighten
   • ▪ (of something straight) be shaped or forced into a curve or angle: "poppies bending in the wind"
   • ▪ (of a road, river, or path) deviate from a straight line in a specified direction: "the road bent left and then right" Similar turncurveinclineswingveerswervedeviatedivergeforkchange coursetwistsnakewindmeanderzigzagcurllooprare:divagateincurvate
   • 2. (of a person) incline the body downwards from the vertical: "she bent down and yanked out the flex" Similar stoopbowcrouchsquatkneelhunchbend downbend overlean downlean overhunker downbob downduck downinformal:scoochOpposite straighten up
   • ▪ move (a jointed part of the body) to an angled position: "extend your left leg and bend your right"
   • 3. force or be forced to submit: "they want to bend me to their will" Similar mouldshapemanipulatedirectforcepressinfluenceinclineswaybiaswarpimpresscompelpersuadesubduesubjugate
   • ▪ interpret or modify (a rule) to suit someone: "we cannot bend the rules, even for Darren"
   • 4. direct (one's attention or energies) to a task: "Eric bent all his efforts to persuading them to donate some blankets" Similar directpointaimturntrainsteerset
   • 5. attach (a sail or cable) by means of a knot: "sailors were bending sails to the spars"

   noun

   • 1. a curve in a road, river, path, or racing circuit: "the van screeched round a bend"
   • 2. a curved or angled part of something: "make a bend in the wire"
   • 3. a kind of knot used to join two ropes together, or to tie a rope to another object, e.g. a carrick bend.
   • 4. decompression sickness, especially in divers.

   Word Origin Old Englishbendan ‘put in bonds, tension a bow by means of a string’, of Germanic origin; related to band1.

   Derivatives

   • 1. bendable adjective

   Scrabble Points: 7

   • B

     3

   • E

     1

   • N

     1

   • D

     2

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