contorting

present participle of contort
as in distorting
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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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 contorting Yan jumped up — way up — into the air, contorting his legs into somewhat of a split. Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 Devotees of his fashions will likely disagree, seeing his pencil strokes bring to life elegant dresses and coats with flame-like lapels, or depict a crane and a contorting human with the same energetic strokes. Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 21 July 2026 His adjustments to poor throws at Auburn often presented the illusion that Coleman was levitating before contorting to make a spectacular play. Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 15 July 2026 Videos and photos circulating on social media showed steel columns on the building’s higher floors buckling and contorting on Tuesday. Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 8 July 2026 The way Adult Swim’s slate of low-fi, off-kilter programming managed to interrupt the monotony of 2000s cable TV, Friedland’s show follows a familiar format while subtly contorting it. Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026 But the same dystopian phenomenon is contorting the whole labor market. Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 2 June 2026 For more serious cavers who are at least 16 years old, this summer-only, four-hour tour requires crawling, climbing, and contorting. Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 14 May 2026 Despite the complex, stream-of-consciousness lyrics, hundreds of mouths could be seen contorting word-for-word with Springsteen’s, giving the show an intimate, local bar atmosphere. Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contorting
Verb
  • But the current state of geopolitics appears to be distorting what being open means.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
  • China’s aircraft engineers have warned that artificial intelligence could feed false data into military intelligence, potentially distorting the design and operation of advanced weapons.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • How are prices set, and how do those prices avoid reproducing the procedural bias already deforming American medicine?
    Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • When oil wells are shut in, the pressure underground can become imbalanced, deforming the underlying structure.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • But, if not, then stop using the existence of those goals as a way of torturing yourself.
    Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Arabella’s adoptive mother, Leticia McCormack, and her parents, Adella and Stanley Tom, were arrested three months later and accused of torturing the young girl to death.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The screwworm gets its name from the maggots’ habit of burrowing — or screwing — into a wound, according to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
    Fabiola Sánchez, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • There’s a storyline in season two about AI being employed at the hospital, then screwing everything up when the system goes down.
    Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 11 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Five minutes later, Messi gave Miami the lead, curling his shot in tight space past three defenders, quieting the sellout crowd at Subaru Park.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Beyond its championship golf courses, guests can play tennis and pickleball, take a hot yoga class, go cross-country skiing, or even try curling.
    Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Contorting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contorting. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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