Meaning & use
bend back
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To move something so that it curves or folds toward the back or in the opposite direction.
Grammar: Can be used with an object (bend something back) or without (bend back), and the object can go between bend and back.
Patterns
- bend something back
- bend back something
- bend back
She bent back the corner of the page to mark her place.
The doctor asked him to bend his arm back slowly.
The branches bent back under the weight of the snow.
verbtransitive
To straighten something that was bent forward, or to return something to its original shape by bending.
Grammar: Takes an object; often used for repairing or adjusting something that has been bent out of shape.
Patterns
- bend something back into shape
- bend something back
He carefully bent the metal frame back into its original shape.
You can bend the wire back if it gets twisted.
Word forms
| third person singular | bends back |
|---|---|
| past tense | bent back |
| past participle | bent back |
| -ing form | bending back |
Common combinations
- bend back a page
- Don't bend back the pages of the book; use a bookmark.
- bend back the branches
- We had to bend back the branches to get through the hedge.
- bend something back into shape
- He bent the spoon back into shape after it was squashed.
- bend back your fingers
- She bent back her fingers to stretch them.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fold back
- Suggests a neat crease, often for paper or fabric, while bend back is more general and can mean curve without creasing.
- flex
- Used mostly for body parts and means to bend a joint, but it does not include the idea of direction 'back'.
- curve
- Focuses on a smooth rounded shape rather than the action of bending something backward.
Opposites
Word family
- bend verb
- To make something curved or angled.
- bendy adjective
- Informal: able to bend easily; flexible.
Commonly confused: bend back or bend over?
bend back vs bend over
Bend over means to lean your upper body forward and down, while bend back means to curve something in the opposite direction.
Practice
She accidentally stepped on the book and ______ the cover back.
Choose one answer.
The past tense 'bent' is needed because the action happened in the past. 'Bend' is the base form, 'bending' is the -ing form, and 'bends' is present tense, so none fits the past-time sentence.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bend back”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.