Synonyms of contort

contort

verb

kən-ˈtȯrt 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• distort
• deform
• screw
• curl
• torture
• warp
• misshape
• disfigure
• squinch
• deface
• loop
• wring
• spiral
• wind
• wrench
• coil
• wrest
• twine
• wreathe

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straighten
• unbend
• uncurl

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb contort contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of contort are deform, distort, 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

When could deform be used to replace contort?

While in some cases nearly identical to contort, deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.

a face deformed by hatred

Where would warp be a reasonable alternative to contort?

The words warp and contort are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane.

warped floorboards

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of contort

One way to create more space and the illusion of a bigger room is to invest in space-saving furniture and clever gadgets that fold, hang, and contort to make your place more functional. —Shalwah Evans, People.com, 6 May 2025

Bodies have been burned, crushed and in this series, but they’ve never been contorted quite as horrifically. —Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 16 May 2025

With this, our bodies are being contorted in very strange ways. —Mike Miller Published, EW.com, 8 May 2025

At one point its images of a man hitting the nitrous button in his muscle car contorts as though his whole body is being pushed through a syringe. —Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025