# bend over backwards

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bend-over-backwards
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To make a great effort; to take extraordinary care; to go to great lengths.

## Examples

- She bends over backwards to help her friends.
- The hotel staff bent over backwards to make sure our anniversary dinner was perfect.
- Despite his busy schedule, the professor bent over backwards to ensure every struggling student understood the difficult material before the final exam.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.