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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in distorted
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of contorted
Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
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
Verb
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
Adjective
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
Verb
-
Therefore a crucial work in the career of one of the greatest of filmmakers is missing—and the understanding and appreciation of her career is distorted.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
10 Sep. 2025
-
For decades, Black performers, writers, and producers have fought to carve out space in an industry that too often overlooked or distorted their stories.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The free-for-all results in a neighborhood with a more disordered, organic layout than elsewhere in town.—
Denver Nicks,
Rolling Stone,
14 Sep. 2025
-
And kids can develop disordered eating despite a parent's best effort to instill healthy eating habits.—
Adrienne Farr,
Parents,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The unmistakable signature of chilli thrips are blooms that look deformed, scorched, singed and burnt.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
-
As a result, his vocals have a kind of stately yet starry-eyed quality, giving structure to these deformed, cosmic beats from the internet abyss.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ronny curled into the passenger seat and switched the track to a rolling-bass beat from Future.—
Bryan Washington,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The white beard, the twinkling eyes behind round spectacles, the mustache curled with wax at its ends are all real, all his.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The number paid respects to Matthew Shepard, a gay man who was tortured and killed because of his sexuality in 1998.—
Natasha Dye,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Soliman fled to the United States in 2014 on a visitor visa and later filed a petition for asylum, describing how security forces over the years had locked him up on false charges and tortured him with electrical shocks.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contorted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contorted. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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