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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contort
The shoulder cut-out is designed for side sleepers, so there’s no pillow-bunching or spine-contorting in the process of getting comfortable.
—
Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2025
The precursor to his game-sealing catch Sunday night in New Jersey became appropriately lost in a pretty compelling tale, but his final three steps before a body-contorting catch are all backpedals, spinning nearly 180 degrees to make the grab.
—Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2025
That usually means contorting my limbs into weird, uncomfortable positions while trying to watch a movie on my phone.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2025
Eighty-eight precent of college students self-censor or contort their views to succeed on campus, and exhibit the lowest level of patriotism out of all generations.
—Alex Rosado, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contort
Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2025
The precursor to his game-sealing catch Sunday night in New Jersey became appropriately lost in a pretty compelling tale, but his final three steps before a body-contorting catch are all backpedals, spinning nearly 180 degrees to make the grab.
—Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2025
That usually means contorting my limbs into weird, uncomfortable positions while trying to watch a movie on my phone.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2025
Eighty-eight precent of college students self-censor or contort their views to succeed on campus, and exhibit the lowest level of patriotism out of all generations.
—Alex Rosado, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contort
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contort
Verb
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As business leaders and economists begin to take concerns of an AI bubble more seriously, the proliferation of loose internet bots has become more alarming because of their potential to distort data key to assessing the sustainability and growth of emerging tech companies.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
15 Oct. 2025
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The macula, part of the retina needed for sharp vision, may become distorted, causing blurry sight.—
Liz Szabo,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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We’d been deformed, like everybody else, by the same internet, the same social collapse.—
Sam Lipsyte,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
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Smaller implants are also lighter, more comfortable, and less apt to stretch, strain, and deform the tissues over time.—
Jolene Edgar,
Allure,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contort.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contort. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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