# bending

/ˈbɛndɪŋ/ (US) · /bˈɛndɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bending
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. the act of curving

noun · CEFR B1

the movement or action of making something curved or folded.

For teachers: the physical act or process of curving or flexing an object from a straight state.

- The constant bending of the wire eventually caused it to snap.
- Repeated bending of the structural copper pipes led to metal fatigue, necessitating a complete replacement of the cooling system.

### 2. distorting or adapting

noun · CEFR B2

changing or stretching a rule or fact to fit a situation.

For teachers: the act of adapting, distorting, or modifying something, such as a rule or truth, to suit a specific purpose.

- The lawyer was accused of bending the truth to help his client.
- The manager's creative bending of the company's travel policy allowed the team to stay in a more central hotel during the conference.

### 3. flexible

adjective · CEFR B2

able to be curved or twisted without breaking.

For teachers: capable of being bent or flexed without structural failure.

- The new phone has a bending screen that can fold in half.
- The engineer selected a bending composite material for the bridge joints to accommodate the natural expansion caused by heat.

## Examples

- The bending of the metal pipe requires a lot of strength.
- After hours of bending over his desk, the architect felt a sharp pain in his lower back.
- The structural integrity of the bridge was compromised by the constant bending of the support beams under the weight of the heavy traffic.

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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.