Abstract: A bending tool (3) for bending workpieces (4) has at least one part with which an upward bend can be made in the workpiece (4) by an abutment of part of the bending tool acting on it along a line of force of the tool. At least one part of the bending tool has workpiece abutment segments (6, 7) which can be adjusted to different functional positions in relation to one another in the direction of the line of force and overlap one another with mutual separation along the line of force in the direction of the line of force. Adjacent segments are coupled and guided in their movement towards and away from each other. The bending tool may have an actuator to effect the relative movement of the segment and the actuator may be operated by the numeric control for the bending machine.