contorted 1 of 2

contorted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of contort
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contorted
Adjective
As the Emcee, an eerie, contorted figure who represents the slow blackening of the city’s soul, Muscato picks up from a prestigious line of talent that includes Eddie Redmayne, Billy Porter and Matt Willis. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026 Barr has resolved the dilemma by writing a contorted endorsement of Blanche in The Wall Street Journal. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 26 June 2026 The more contorted, the more supported. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 26 June 2026 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 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
Lazzarini’s nine artworks on display, curated by John Ravenal, are convoluted and contorted, distorted into impossible shapes that challenge perception. — Kim Córdova, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026 But somehow, Chase contorted his body, located the ball, snagged it out of the air, and kept both feet in the end zone for one of the best touchdown grabs of the season thus far. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026 Its blood had drawn crooked and contorted lines on the ground, as if a painter had splashed colorful strokes on a canvas to create a postmodern masterpiece. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 Human figures are often seen in floating, dynamic, and contorted positions, potentially engaging in shamanic journeys or ritualistic collective dances. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026 Years after Leontes, a king contorted by jealousy, has ordered that his wife, the blameless Hermione, be put to death, a curtain is drawn back to reveal what appears to be a statue of her. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 Football fandom is contorted by the internet now to put out beauty and vibe and wonder. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contorted
Adjective
  • Lula’s coalition filed a legal complaint requesting that the avatar’s profiles be taken down, on the grounds that the anonymous accounts peddled false or distorted information that could mislead voters.
    — Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The shoegaze sound keeps evolving, as young artists keep hearing themselves in those mega-distorted waves of guitar fuzz.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • On a map, Newfoundland is a vast, asymmetrical island, cloven by bays and inlets, semi-detached to appendages of land deformed by ancient glaciers scraping over it, leaving glacial striations, grooves and gouges on its granite face.
    — Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • In other words, two objects are considered topologically identical if they can be deformed into one another without tearing holes in them or gluing them together at any point.
    — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Bossy’s direction raises the clamorous volume instead of sorting out the disordered structure or digging into the unexamined silences.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • About 6% of women across all age groups live with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, and that figure climbs to 20% or higher after menopause, according to research on sleep-disordered breathing.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • With the rains the park has had lately, the leaves were relaxed and not curled into their dry weather posture.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The shiny, inky black strands were parted in the middle and curled under at the ends to really show off the layers, with the front portion perfectly cupping her jawline to frame her face.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 27 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Sarsour denies committing those crimes and his attorneys say he was tortured and coerced into confessing in both instances.
    — Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • To succeed, the Sparrows would need to sell the story, even if tortured.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Contorted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contorted. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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