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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Recent Examples of contorting
Because you’re done contorting, shrinking, softening, and waiting for permission.
—
Samyra, SELF, 14 Jan. 2026
The Thunder, contorting around the Frenchman’s wingspan, shot better than 68 percent inside the paint on just one fewer attempt than San Antonio.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Then, while Williams was stoic, Storrie feigned nervousness about presenting, contorting himself into knots.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
This is the city of Antoni Gaudi, the architect whose distinct buildings define Barcelona, contorting possibility.
—Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2025
Outside that moment, everyone resumed contorting themselves to serve the Establishment in one way or another to survive.
—Eddie Huang, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2025
The shoulder cut-out is designed for side sleepers, so there’s no pillow-bunching or spine-contorting in the process of getting comfortable.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2025
The precursor to his game-sealing catch Sunday night in New Jersey became appropriately lost in a pretty compelling tale, but his final three steps before a body-contorting catch are all backpedals, spinning nearly 180 degrees to make the grab.
—Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2025
That usually means contorting my limbs into weird, uncomfortable positions while trying to watch a movie on my phone.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2025
Samyra, SELF, 14 Jan. 2026
The Thunder, contorting around the Frenchman’s wingspan, shot better than 68 percent inside the paint on just one fewer attempt than San Antonio.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Then, while Williams was stoic, Storrie feigned nervousness about presenting, contorting himself into knots.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
This is the city of Antoni Gaudi, the architect whose distinct buildings define Barcelona, contorting possibility.
—Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 1 Dec. 2025
Outside that moment, everyone resumed contorting themselves to serve the Establishment in one way or another to survive.
—Eddie Huang, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2025
The shoulder cut-out is designed for side sleepers, so there’s no pillow-bunching or spine-contorting in the process of getting comfortable.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2025
The precursor to his game-sealing catch Sunday night in New Jersey became appropriately lost in a pretty compelling tale, but his final three steps before a body-contorting catch are all backpedals, spinning nearly 180 degrees to make the grab.
—Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2025
That usually means contorting my limbs into weird, uncomfortable positions while trying to watch a movie on my phone.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contorting
Verb
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The distorting design of the Senate and the Electoral College, the filibuster’s persistence, and centralized leadership have all contributed to legislative ossification.—
Duncan Hosie,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
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Removing those financial incentives would allow care to be organized around quality and access rather than distorting care into forms most favored by bureaucrats.—
Tomas J. Philipson,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Like stirring honey instead of water, deforming a thicker, more viscous interior requires more energy.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Yorgos Lanthimos, Florian Zeller and Juliette Binoche are among more than 800 film professionals who have signed a joint statement condemning the Iranian government for killing and torturing its own people.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
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Dan Bujor, who lives out of a school bus parked in Long Island City, was arrested Sunday on charges including overdriving animals, torturing and injuring animals and failure to provide sustenance, in addition to driving without a license, in connection with the bizarre incident, cops said.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cattano suggests screwing mug hooks into the bottom of kitchen cabinets to utilize that space between the cupboards and the countertops.—
Bridget Reed Morawski,
Architectural Digest,
7 Jan. 2026
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That’s because the president doesn’t care about screwing people.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Taylor Anderson of Broomall, Pennsylvania will compete for the United States in curling and Summer Britcher of Glen Rock, Pennsylvania will represent Team USA in the luge.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Tickets to see the athletes compete are available on the Olympics official website, with prices ranging from about $60 for a curling competition to more than $550 for a figure skating session.—
Amy Nelson,
Twin Cities,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contorting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contorting. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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