# bend the brain

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bend-the-brain
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To be difficult to comprehend.

## Examples

- 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.

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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.