as in distorted
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
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
Even an otherwise neutral comment can be contorted into a sarcastic retort, an insult or a counterattack.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Yet part of the force of it is that Michôd has not contorted Christy Martin’s life into some false arc; what was going on beneath her triumph is portrayed with a desperate and idiosyncratic honesty.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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
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
Even an otherwise neutral comment can be contorted into a sarcastic retort, an insult or a counterattack.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Yet part of the force of it is that Michôd has not contorted Christy Martin’s life into some false arc; what was going on beneath her triumph is portrayed with a desperate and idiosyncratic honesty.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contorted
Adjective
-
On the other hand, SPCfw is more flexible, allowing the water molecule to bend and stretch, especially when forming distorted hydrogen bonds, as seen in ice VI.—
Pranjal Malewar,
New Atlas,
26 Oct. 2025
-
This is the first in a series of mysterious and increasingly frightening events that follow him through his childhood, all of it narrated in 'Penpal' by his adult self peering through a distorted lens of shaky, imperfect recall.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
In the past few years, the nation’s collective memory—never the strongest—has been relentlessly deformed by right-wing propaganda.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
To find a better solution, the researchers built an algorithm to engineer useful disordered architectures.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Nov. 2025
-
It is associated with hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior that impair daily functioning and can be disabling.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Dressed in an angelic all-white ensemble, Stewart’s hair is longer than most would recognize now and slightly curled.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Perhaps, curled inside the turbulent virginal atmosphere, Helm dreams of being a storm, has a prophetic vision of destruction, feels a natural calling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The attorneys for the Department of Justice argued that the preliminary injunction blocking Abrego Garcia’s removal to Liberia should be dissolved because the government received assurances from the government of the West African country that he will not be persecuted or tortured.—
Laura Romero,
ABC News,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Of the few that have arrived in what Saraf describes as a small agricultural town, many have reported being beaten and tortured by different militia groups stationed along the treacherous route between El Fasher and Tawila.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contorted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contorted. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share