warp

noun

\ˈwȯrp

Definition of warp

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a series of yarns extended lengthwise in a loom and crossed by the weft

b : foundation, base the warp of the economic structure is agriculture — Amer. Guide Series: N.C.

2 : a rope for warping or mooring a ship or boat

3 [ ²warp ]

a : a twist or curve that has developed in something originally flat or straight a warp in a door panel

b : a mental aberration

warp

verb

warped; warping; warps

Definition of warp (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to arrange (yarns) so as to form a warp

2a : to turn or twist out of or as if out of shape especially : to twist or bend out of a plane

b : to cause to judge, choose, or act wrongly or abnormally : pervert

c : distort intellect and learning … warped by prejudices— Irving Wallace warps space and time

d : to deflect from a course

3 : to move (something, such as a ship) by hauling on a line attached to a fixed object

intransitive verb

1 : to become warped

2 : to move a ship by warping

Other Words from warp Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about warp

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Choose the Right Synonym for warp

Verb

deform, distort, contort, warp means to mar or spoil by or as if by twisting. deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth. a face deformed by hatred 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 warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane. warped floorboards

Examples of warp in a Sentence

Noun

There's a warp in the floorboards. an unshakable belief in the essential goodness of humankind is the warp of his philosophy

Verb

The wood was warped by moisture. The heat caused the wood to warp. He held prejudices that warped his judgment.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

For the Stepanyan sisters, who are participants at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival this summer, once each row is completed, individual strands of thread will be knotted around pairs of warp threads, varying the colors to make intricate patterns. — Glenn Dixon, Smithsonian, "The Age-Old Tradition of Armenian Carpet Making Refuses to Be Swept Under the Rug," 6 July 2018 Who else can pull off a mid-song tune-warp as dope as this? 1. — Kat Bein, Billboard, "Fatboy Slim's 10 Best Songs: Critic's Picks," 2 July 2018 Finally, when the Technicolor warp is ready, loom operators stretch it taut and gird it with a cotton or silk weft. — Ryan P. Smith, Smithsonian, "How the Technicolor Ikat Designs of Central Asia Thread Into Textile History," 26 Mar. 2018 But Bourdain’s brashness came with an immense humility that really made up the warp and weft of his TV shows. — Kanishk Tharoor, The Atlantic, "Anthony Bourdain’s Extreme Empathy," 10 June 2018 Yet the argument isn't simply swayed by a time-warp. — Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press, "Michael Jordan's mystique clouds our memories: LeBron is the G.O.A.T," 29 May 2018 There was the quick exit from Shogun World (via warp tube), Bernard plugging his brain-pearl into the mainframe, and Dolores and Evil Teddy riding the train of destiny together. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, "Westworld: From Cradle to Grave," 28 May 2018 That begins with episode 1, where an undersupplied, sloppily staffed Cruiser goes through a mysterious warp zone and immediately comes under attack from insidiously clever aliens. — Noel Murray, The Verge, "After Solo: A Star Wars Story, spend half an hour in Paul Feig’s Other Space," 25 May 2018 The time-warp ambience seems less studied and self-conscious in nearby Richis, where Rost introduces me to a wisecracking 85-year-old named Hans Schaas. — Christopher Bagley, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Bewitching Time Warp of Transylvania, Romania," 4 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But on Wednesday, time will stop and warp in Killarney. — Jordan Cutler-tietjen, sacbee, "How some Sacramentans will celebrate Independence Day in a town 4,000 miles from U.S.," 1 July 2018 In another, a preschool sued a contractor over kitchen cabinets that school officials claimed had warped and fallen off. — Corinne Ramey, WSJ, "New York to Litigants: Let’s Settle Those Lawsuits," 4 July 2018 This is a story set in a world recognizably ours, but warped and fantastic. — Pam Grady, SFChronicle.com, "Lakeith Stanfield gets a kick out of starring in Boots Riley’s ‘Sorry to Bother You’," 28 June 2018 Behavioral scientist George Lakoff writes a lot about this, and warns about the different framing devices that the Trump administration uses to warp reality. — Amira Rasool, Teen Vogue, "Journalist Liz Plank Believes the Media Was Baited by Melania Trump's Zara Jacket," 22 June 2018 But an ability to warp space in beguiling ways is hardly unique to photography. — Richard B. Woodward, WSJ, "‘Image Building: How Photography Transforms Architecture’ Review," 26 Mar. 2018 Importing Sand Hill Road venture dollars might seem like a boon for the city, but the influx of cash has the potential to warp the Toronto tech economy, furthering income disparities and exacerbating the existing real-estate crisis. — Molly Sauter, The Atlantic, "Google’s Guinea-Pig City," 13 Feb. 2018 That’s how delightfully time-warped my university was. — Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Doc: In the playoffs, you're nothing without a great QB," 8 Jan. 2018 In the age of Time's Up and #MeToo, Garland's life is a particularly harrowing emblem of how Hollywood can warp and abuse young women. — refinery29.com, "Why Now Is The Right Time For A Judy Garland Biopic," 19 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'warp.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.