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
Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 11 Mar. 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
Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2026
Cross-country skiing is known for its attrition, an event that leaves its competitors foam-mouthed and slack-jawed; athletes of iron reduced to trembling and contorted shapes on the floor.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 18 Feb. 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
Mikomi sees images generated by Grok of her wearing specific fetish outfits, or her body contorted or placed in strange contexts.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
And children’s faces are contorted with terror.
—Leonard Pitts Jr, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
Vonn walked with a limp, which contorted her body in a way that put stress on other areas, like her hips and ribs.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The more contorted, the more supported.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 11 Mar. 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
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
Cross-country skiing is known for its attrition, an event that leaves its competitors foam-mouthed and slack-jawed; athletes of iron reduced to trembling and contorted shapes on the floor.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 18 Feb. 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
Mikomi sees images generated by Grok of her wearing specific fetish outfits, or her body contorted or placed in strange contexts.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
And children’s faces are contorted with terror.
—Leonard Pitts Jr, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
Vonn walked with a limp, which contorted her body in a way that put stress on other areas, like her hips and ribs.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contorted
Adjective
-
Forget the glossy card-stock mailers with distorted images, designed to make your opponent look like an ax murderer.—
Steve Bousquet,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Forget the glossy card-stock mailers with distorted images, designed to make your opponent look like an ax murderer.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The mountains themselves are too deformed to hold hydrocarbons.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
6 Mar. 2026
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Hadi tells an engaging story, brings complex and surprising characters to life, lends a locale an aesthetic iconography, and renders personal identity inextricable from the forces of history that shaped or deformed it.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In Maryland, nearly 6% of residents exhibit disordered gambling behavior, up from 4% two years prior, a 2024 study backed by the Maryland Department of Health found.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
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The New Yorker Consume Me This semi-autobiographical game by director Jenny Jiao Hsia explores her experiences with dieting and disordered eating as an Asian American teenager in the early 2010s, using gameplay mechanics to reflect the emotional and cultural pressures surrounding these issues.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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De Paul took a short corner from Telasco Segovia and curled a shot into the upper-right corner of the goal in the 82nd minute.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Her platinum blonde hair was chopped into a chin-grazing cut that was curled under at the ends to give a voluminous appearance.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The kidnappers didn’t care and tortured the family with 2 notes knowing the FBI would not recommend paying a ransom without proof of life.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
22 Apr. 2026
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In July 2013, Anderson and Walker were found bound, gagged, tortured and shot to death in Anderson’s home, according to police.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contorted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contorted. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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