as in distorted
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as in deformed
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 contorted
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 12 June 2026
The 39-year-old artist was finally gaining recognition abroad for his contorted, geometric sculptures made of thousands of hand-cut mirror shards reaching as high as 27 feet.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The more contorted, the more supported.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 26 Apr. 2026
Last week, Boston Dynamics explained Atlas’s ground recovery, revealing why the humanoid rises with contorted movements rather than standing like a human.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025
Then there are a couple of realistic sculptures by Swedish artist Anna Uddenberg that feature a woman seated on a basic office chair in contorted positions that seem to emphasize her feminine parts.
—Jane Wooldridge, Miami Herald, 3 Dec. 2025
Three-inch gashes had been ripped from both corners of her mouth nearly to the ears, forming a contorted, twisted smile.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
Kansas City Star, 21 June 2026
Search the internet and there are coaches and players spotted sniffing the ammonia inhalants before a game, with their instant reactions — a noticeable head jerk or contorted face — going viral.
—Jason Jones, New York Times, 15 May 2026
In these photographs, Export contorted her body in various ways, creating striking images of her body defying the expected.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 14 May 2026
Aether enthusiasts contorted themselves in knots attempting to explain this null result while still saving the notion of the aether itself.
—Big Think, 7 May 2026
Egon Schiele’s show at the Neue Galerie suggests that the artist’s raw, contorted depictions of the body were influenced by a formative relationship with a doctor.
—Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2026
For the entire 15-minute show, they’ve been contorted into pieces of furniture Lawson fabricated, pieces befitting something between an asylum and BDSM dungeon, and reminiscent of Allen Jones’s 1960s Pop sculpture series, which depicts fiberglass women in fetishware as home objects.
—Anna Peele, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026
In 2025, there was the Owl Arm Trend, in which Gen Z TikTokers contorted their bodies (and stretched their T-shirts) to mimic the shape of a perching owl, clinging to their friend’s arm.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Their necks contorted slightly and smiles spread across their faces as the high-definition videos started and their journeys commenced.
—Haven Daley, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
The contorted, impossible plot isn’t the point, but its breakneck speed is.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 12 June 2026
The 39-year-old artist was finally gaining recognition abroad for his contorted, geometric sculptures made of thousands of hand-cut mirror shards reaching as high as 27 feet.
—Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The more contorted, the more supported.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 26 Apr. 2026
Last week, Boston Dynamics explained Atlas’s ground recovery, revealing why the humanoid rises with contorted movements rather than standing like a human.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025
Then there are a couple of realistic sculptures by Swedish artist Anna Uddenberg that feature a woman seated on a basic office chair in contorted positions that seem to emphasize her feminine parts.
—Jane Wooldridge, Miami Herald, 3 Dec. 2025
Three-inch gashes had been ripped from both corners of her mouth nearly to the ears, forming a contorted, twisted smile.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
Starting with a tone-setting marvel early, Room contorted and unfurled himself to 15 saves — including several other stupefying ones.
—Kansas City Star, 21 June 2026
Search the internet and there are coaches and players spotted sniffing the ammonia inhalants before a game, with their instant reactions — a noticeable head jerk or contorted face — going viral.
—Jason Jones, New York Times, 15 May 2026
In these photographs, Export contorted her body in various ways, creating striking images of her body defying the expected.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 14 May 2026
Aether enthusiasts contorted themselves in knots attempting to explain this null result while still saving the notion of the aether itself.
—Big Think, 7 May 2026
Egon Schiele’s show at the Neue Galerie suggests that the artist’s raw, contorted depictions of the body were influenced by a formative relationship with a doctor.
—Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2026
For the entire 15-minute show, they’ve been contorted into pieces of furniture Lawson fabricated, pieces befitting something between an asylum and BDSM dungeon, and reminiscent of Allen Jones’s 1960s Pop sculpture series, which depicts fiberglass women in fetishware as home objects.
—Anna Peele, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026
In 2025, there was the Owl Arm Trend, in which Gen Z TikTokers contorted their bodies (and stretched their T-shirts) to mimic the shape of a perching owl, clinging to their friend’s arm.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Their necks contorted slightly and smiles spread across their faces as the high-definition videos started and their journeys commenced.
—Haven Daley, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contorted
Adjective
-
Even though Mercola has now reversed his position on vitamin K, many on social media still cling to debunked and distorted claims.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
12 June 2026
-
The strange fruits of Koosha’s process premiered Wednesday night at the Tribeca Festival in New York — a work that was just another indie film on one hand but also a glimpse at the distorted mirror of film’s future on the other.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Some cells were mechanically deformed to simulate incidents such as minor parking impacts.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
18 June 2026
-
Habermas was well aware of how the internet had deformed his beloved public sphere.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Women with thyroid disorders, a history of disordered eating, high chronic stress, adolescent girls and anyone pregnant or breastfeeding should consult a clinician before starting.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
10 June 2026
-
Some highly restrictive diets have also been associated with disordered eating behaviors and psychological stress related to food and body image.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Olwan crossed midfield all alone, caught up to Noor Alrawabdeh’s long pass, dribbled down the left wing, breached the penalty box, cut past defender Philipp Leinhart, then, from some 15 yards, curled a shot that kissed off the inside of the right post.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
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Receiving a ball punched out of Tunisia’s area, the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder took one touch to knock it into space, before coiling his diminutive frame behind a fierce shot that fizzed and curled into the net.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Six men lured victims to resort then tortured them at gunpoint, FBI says.—
,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
-
And in today's world, with the advent of cyberbullying, thanks to every kid having a digital footprint, a child can be tortured without even seeing their bully face-to-face.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contorted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contorted. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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