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
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
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
One oral tradition about Lake Nyos describes how people long ago attempted to cross the dry lake bed between the high, contorted rock formations of the maar’s volcanic rim.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Rogalski contorted his body and got a foot down in bounds to secure the interception at Mahtomedi’s 42 yard line.
—Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
Some language just gets contorted in error.
—Louis J. Esterhazy, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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
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
One oral tradition about Lake Nyos describes how people long ago attempted to cross the dry lake bed between the high, contorted rock formations of the maar’s volcanic rim.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Rogalski contorted his body and got a foot down in bounds to secure the interception at Mahtomedi’s 42 yard line.
—Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
Some language just gets contorted in error.
—Louis J. Esterhazy, Footwear News, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contorted
Adjective
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This film is a succinct display of craft in writing, directing, acting, and a deeply insightful depiction of the distorted state of American values today.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026
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Ten years is a long time, even longer through the distorted lens of music consumption in the streaming age.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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American bases built inside the ice sheet, such as Camp Century, were quickly crushed as the encasing snow deformed.—
Paul Bierman,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
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One of those difficulties was figuring out how to square the minimal and highly refined designs of Mies and Johnson with the raw and sometimes deformed materials salvaged from RedBird.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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When disordered eating becomes severe, patients can be hospitalized.—
Michal Ruprecht,
NPR,
14 Jan. 2026
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Data on sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea or sleep-disordered breathing, were not available.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Chopped with face-framing curtain bangs and curled into small (almost Shirley Temple-sized) ringlets, the singer’s hair is clearly a reference to her look from the song’s energetic music video.—
Margaux Anbouba,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
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Inside The Lot at Formosa, Young’s hair, once a mullet with stark blond streaks, was now colored black and curled in coils down her back.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The regime imprisoned Nejati and reportedly tortured him.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
And so even people who were heroes of the nation, they were beaten, tortured, taken for reeducation.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contorted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contorted. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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