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
In the first round of the 1993 tournament, against LSU Kidd’s drive through the lane and body-contorting, banker high off the backboard with one second left gave Cal a 66-64 win.
—
Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
But film and television stars lately have been contorting themselves to say less.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Feb. 2026
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
Brad Townsend, Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
But film and television stars lately have been contorting themselves to say less.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contorting
Verb
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Too many firms are incentivizing rapid rollout over results, distorting responsible deployment.—
K. H. Koehler,
AZCentral.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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The lens shift, in the vertical direction only, offers similar flexibility for adjusting the projector's height relative to the screen without tilting the projector and distorting the image.—
M. David Stone,
PC Magazine,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Their atoms are held together by strong chemical bonds and arranged in a stable crystal structure that resists deforming, even at extreme temperatures.—
Vitor Rielli,
The Conversation,
4 Mar. 2026
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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
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Two recent cases of parents in Round Lake Beach and Fox Lake charged with several counts each of torturing and abusing their children — in one case allegedly causing a son’s death — point to the need for some sort of parental licensing.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
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The Ayatollah ruled as a brutal dictator, killing and torturing his own people, imposing harsh restrictions on basic freedoms, and put the lives of our troops and global allies constantly at risk.—
Derek Tran,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To make a profit from their business, American companies sent their manufacturing facilities overseas, screwing American workers by incurring smaller labor costs, therefore profiting rich investors who never had to work for it and used their money to make more money off the American consumer.—
Jay Reddick,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
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All the setup required was screwing in the legs.—
Noah Kaufman,
Architectural Digest,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In that split second Mara peeled to his right, curling around Avila for the easy lay in.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
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Berg Johnsen’s shot was one-timed and placed perfectly into the far left corner, curling away from the Galaxy goalkeeper.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contorting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contorting. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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