From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbendbend1 /bend/ ●●● S3 W3 verb (past tense and past participle bent /bent/) 1 MOVE YOUR BODY[intransitive, transitive]BEND to move part of your body so that it is not straight or so that you are not upright Lee bent and kissed her. She bent her head. Bend your knees, but keep your back straight.bend over Emma bent over to pick up the coins.bend down I bent down to lift the box off the floor.bend towards/across etc He bent towards me and whispered in my ear.2 [transitive]CURVE to push or press something so that it is no longer flat or straight You need a special tool to bend the steel.3 [intransitive] to become curved and no longer flat or straight Several branches started bending towards the ground.4 [intransitive]BEND when a road bends, it changes direction to form a curve The road bends sharply to the left.5 → bend the truth6 → bend over backwards (to do something)7 → bend somebody’s ear8 → on bended knee9 → bend your mind/efforts to something10 → bend to somebody’s will → bend the rules at rule1(1)→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
bend• I tried opening it with the knife but the blade bent.• He bent and kissed the child on the head.• They ordered the young women to remove their upper garments and then to bend forward until their foreheads touched the cold sand.• The metal bar bends in the middle.• The doctor says no bending or lifting for at least six weeks.• He never woke to see the shining silvery form bending over him.• The branches of the tree bent over into the water.• The road bends right then left, before passing a petrol station.• At the top of the hill, the path bends sharply left and enters a small woodland.• Someone had bent the aerial.• We had to bend the branches back so we could get through the bushes and back onto the path.• Lie on your side and bend the lower leg.• You can't bend the steel without some kind of tool.• He bent the wire into an 'S' shape.• She bent towards me and whispered in my ear.• If the Christmas tree is fresh, the needles will bend without breaking.• Relax your arms and bend your elbows slightly.bend over• My earliest memories are of my mother bending over my cot to kiss me goodnight.• Lenny bent over to pick up the coins.bendbend2 noun [countable] 1 BENDa curved part of something, especially a road or river The car came round the bend at a terrifying speed.bend in a sharp bend in the road2 BENDan action in which you bend a part of your body We started the session with a few knee bends to warm up.3 → drive somebody round the bend4 → be/go round the bend5 → the bendsCOLLOCATIONSadjectives a sharp/tight bend (=a curve that changes direction suddenly)That road sign means you are approaching a sharp bend.a hairpin bend (=a very sharp bend in which a road changes direction, usually on a mountain)The road wound up the mountain in a series of hairpin bends.a slight/gentle/wide bend (=that changes direction slightly or gradually)Ahead of us there was a wide bend in the river.a blind bend (=that you cannot see around when you are driving)Never overtake another car on a blind bend.a left-hand/right-hand bend (=going towards the left or the right)Take the turning just after the left-hand bend in the road.verbscome around/round the bendSuddenly a motorbike came around the bend at top speed.round the bendHe rounded the bend much too fast. Examples from the Corpus
bend• You go around a bend and the farm is on the right.• The creek goes around a bend by the farm.• The bus creaked slowly round the hairpin bend.• Start with a few knee bends.• He rounded a sharp bend, and suddenly the deep blue Mediterranean lay before him.• The taxi went around the bend at an alarming speed.• The plane flew low, following the bends of the river.• Nobody was in sight when he looked back from the bend in the path.• If you are known to be seeing a shrink you are deemed to be going round the bend.• As we rounded the bend, I could see the town up ahead.• The balcony overlooked a wide bend in the river.• There was a private balcony that overlooked a wide bend in the river that runs through Minsk.• Let's start with the one just posed: Why are all the best views on the worst bends?bend in• a sharp bend in the roadOrigin bend1 Old English bendan 