bend the brain
To be difficult to comprehend.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“This math problem really bends the brain.”
“The complex physics lecture was so difficult that it started to bend the brain of every student in the room.”
“The philosopher proposed a theory so abstract and paradoxical that it served to bend the brain of even the most seasoned academic.”
- 01
beat one's brain
To struggle to think or remember something.
- 02
beat someone's brains out
To beat someone very severely (especially in the head).
- 03
bend one's elbow
To drink alcoholic beverages, especially at a public house or bar.
- 04
bend over backwards
To make a great effort; to take extraordinary care; to go to great lengths.
- 05
bend someone's ear
To bore; to talk too long, especially to one particular person.
- 06
bend someone's will
To persuade or otherwise induce someone to change his or her views or to choose a different course of action.
- 07
bend the knee
To swear fealty or allegiance to another person.
- 08
bend the truth
To change or leave out certain facts of a story or situation, generally in order to elicit a specific response in the audience.
Last updated August 10, 2026