Synonym Chooser

How does the verb distort contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of distort are contort, deform, and warp. While all these words mean "to mar or spoil by or as if by twisting," distort and contort both imply a wrenching from the natural or normal, but contort suggests a more involved twisting and a more grotesque and painful result.

the odd camera angle distorts the figure
disease had contorted her body

In what contexts can deform take the place of distort?

Although the words deform and distort have much in common, deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.

a face deformed by hatred

When is it sensible to use warp instead of distort?

In some situations, the words warp and distort are roughly equivalent. However, warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane.

warped floorboards

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of distort The justices are rightly concerned at how this process has distorted their own docket as well as bringing the courts into increasingly open conflict with the Trump administration. The Editors, National Review, 27 June 2025 The track is fittingly visceral, with Lorde’s voice layered, warped, and distorted to jarring effect, making for the kind of musical catharsis that’s designed to double you over on the first listen. Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2025 However, the trackways studied were made in varying degrees of soft mud, which would have fundamentally impacted locomotion and stretched and distorted footprints, leading to exaggerated stride lengths. New Atlas, 24 June 2025 MacDowell agrees, adding that HDR is essential for handling mixed lighting conditions, such as bright sun and shadows, without distorting the video quality. Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for distort
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distort
Verb
  • Republican lawmakers have largely rallied around Trump, accusing Democrats of misrepresenting the legislation.
    Zac Anderson, USA Today, 2 July 2025
  • The claims misrepresent both the nature and scale of violence affecting white farmers.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Vincent attempts through various means to convince people of this infiltration of aliens who appear as normal humans except for their emotionless personalities and deformed little fingers on their hands.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2025
  • New traction and stability programming first needed to cope with the tires deforming significantly under hard acceleration and sending sensors haywire.
    Michael Teo Van Runkle, ArsTechnica, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • Larger animals, such as bulls and contorted horse-like creatures, represented the autocratic government and agents of said violence.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • McLain had to contort himself in midair and reach across his body, but the ball hit off his glove and into the outfield, allowing two runners to score with two outs in the first inning.
    C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 26 May 2025
Verb
  • Calvert stands about 5 foot 1, has smile lines around her big blue eyes and keeps her strawberry-blond bob neatly curled.
    Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025
  • If the particles are flying in the direction of your thumb, their spin follows the direction your fingers curl—on either your right hand or your left.
    Zack Savitsky, Wired News, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • That’s a surefire way to bend the brim and otherwise misshape it.
    Talia Ergas, Travel + Leisure, 27 June 2023
  • The misshapen hemoglobin misshape the cells.
    Jason Mast, STAT, 19 Dec. 2022
Verb
  • That's because the temperature can discolor or warp oven racks that aren't designed to withstand such high heat.
    Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 29 June 2025
  • Pick up, put down, misplace, leave crusty with sand or warped with humidity.
    Christopher Borrelli, Boston Herald, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Distort.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distort. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on distort

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