to unbend
1
4.9
- verb
- /ʌnˈbɛnd/
- -"You can't unbend the twig when the tree is full grown".
Examples
-
I want you to unbend, unbend the paper clip.
-
-You can't unbend the twig after the tree is full grown.
-
Rockmother's trying to unbend her hands, saying "See what you've done?"
Fiction book (2002) -
But, I reasoned, if I were to have something that would hold my hand straight once I managed to unbend the fingers, then perhaps I would be able to stand on all fours, strengthening my arm and hand.
Fiction book (1993) -
The marble Buddha unbends his cramped legs and stands tall as a tree.
Fiction book (2001) -
She unbends her knees, peeks over a washer.
Fiction book (1994) -
My arms would not unbend from their soldier's crook to gently cup the bobbing head and soft body. I felt the itch in my armpit for a rifle's wooden stock.
Fiction book (2002) -
She used the heat to unbend the metal, making it straight again.
-
To fix the bent ruler, I carefully unbend it by hand.
-
The technician showed us how to unbend the wire without damaging it.
Synonyms
126
2.5
Make something straight and in the right position
15
3.7
Make a wrapped or twisted thing loose and straight
10
2.9
To make something free of bends, twists, or knots
3
3.2
To move from a rolled or folded shape into a more open form
3
3.7
To make something that is rolled or curled become straight
3
3.7
To make something that is twisted become straight
1
5.8
To make a hose, wire, or rope straight by removing bends
Antonyms
How Straight
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Unbend comes from the prefix un-, as in unlock, meaning 'reverse', and bend meaning 'to curve'. So to unbend here is to 'reverse a curve' and make something straight again.