bendings
Acts of curving
Bendings are instances or acts of bending—curving, flexing, or forcing something from straight to curved.
The word appears in technical contexts describing repeated stress on materials: The metal failed after thousands of bendings.
It also describes bodily movements: The deep bendings of yoga stretched her spine.
Contracting muscles voluntarily
- curvingBending in arc
- archingBending in a curve
- warpingBecoming bent or twisted
- bucklingBending from compression
deforming · twisting · folding · crooking · stooping · bowing · hunching · contorting
Giving something its form
- formingComing into existence
- moldingDecorative architectural edging
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
- metalworkShaped metal objects
pipework · tubing · wire · rebar · ductwork · fabrication · forging · tempering
Bending under pressure
- submittingGiving in or delivering
- acquiescingConsenting without protest
- conformingMeeting accepted standards
- capitulatingCeasing to resist
accommodating · relenting · deferring · compromising · conceding · adapting · adjusting · kowtowing
Bends in a line
- turnsRotations or chances
- meandersWinds without purpose
- windingCurving repeatedly, sinuous
- twistsRotational bends or turns
detours · switchbacks · serpentine · zigzags · undulations · sinuous · snaking · coiling
Wave bending between media
- diffractionWaves spreading past obstacles
- prismLight-splitting optical element
- lensingCamera work, slang
- deflectionChange in trajectory
dispersion · spectrum · optics · rainbow · mirage · wavefront · photonics · angles
flexing
Contracting muscles voluntarily
buckling · deforming · twisting · folding · crooking · stooping · bowing · hunching · contorting · doubling
shaping
Giving something its form
- formingComing into existence
- moldingDecorative architectural edging
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
metalwork · pipework · tubing · wire · rebar · ductwork · fabrication · forging · tempering · sheet-metal
yielding
Bending under pressure
- submittingGiving in or delivering
- acquiescingConsenting without protest
- conformingMeeting accepted standards
capitulating · accommodating · relenting · deferring · compromising · conceding · adapting · adjusting · kowtowing · genuflecting
curves
Bends in a line
twists · detours · switchbacks · serpentine · zigzags · undulations · sinuous · snaking · coiling · loops
refraction
Wave bending between media
- diffractionWaves spreading past obstacles
- prismLight-splitting optical element
- lensingCamera work, slang
deflection · dispersion · spectrum · optics · rainbow · mirage · wavefront · photonics · angles · incidence
bendingsunbending
Refusing to change position
flattening · extending · stretching · aligning · unfolding
bendingsstanding fast
Remaining firmly in place
defiances · refusals · bracings · rigidities
bendingsrigidifying
Making firm and unbending
bracing · reinforcing · solidifying · setting
- bending overInclining torso downward
- bending the truthSelective honesty, misleading intent
- bending over backwardsExtreme effort to please
- bending the rulesInterpreting guidelines loosely
- bending the kneeAssuming a submissive posture
- gender bendingChallenging conventional identity categories