as in to distort
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition
the acrobat is able to contort his body so that it almost looks like a pretzel
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Recent Examples of contort
The future Hall of Famer somehow contorted in Matrix-like fashion to avoid getting hit – and caught the ball to end the fifth inning (and his night).
—
Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 3 Sep. 2025
The media environment, across genres, has been contorting rapidly for over a decade, as creators of myriad forms of content compete for shrinking attention spans in an increasingly crowded market.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
Stewart contorts his face with a look of disbelief when asked if Montgomery has stayed on him.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Most murder is informed by broader systemic injustices and true crime media often fails to contextualize its horrors, leading to narratives that contort perpetrators into monsters rather than products of our flawed social systems.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contort
Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 3 Sep. 2025
The media environment, across genres, has been contorting rapidly for over a decade, as creators of myriad forms of content compete for shrinking attention spans in an increasingly crowded market.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
Stewart contorts his face with a look of disbelief when asked if Montgomery has stayed on him.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Most murder is informed by broader systemic injustices and true crime media often fails to contextualize its horrors, leading to narratives that contort perpetrators into monsters rather than products of our flawed social systems.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contort
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contort
Verb
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His team accused Whatley of distorting the facts to cover for his support of federal policies that reduced funding for local police.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
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Beyond 100 people, culture often fragments, communication distorts and the founder’s vision weakens.—
Jonathan Low,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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According to Burlison, the video shows a high-speed object—presumably the missile—hitting the orb, which then deforms, tumbles, and sheds smaller fragments, one barely visible.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
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The unmistakable signature of chilli thrips are blooms that look deformed, scorched, singed and burnt.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contort.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contort. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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