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
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
Both boys and girls should have the freedom to experience childhood free from the pressures of contorting their growing bodies into narrow definitions of beauty or feeling the inevitable resentment and pain that comes from trying to achieve these impossible standards.
—Ashleigh N. Deluca, Parents, 4 Sep. 2025
The media environment, across genres, has been contorting rapidly for over a decade, as creators of myriad forms of content compete for shrinking attention spans in an increasingly crowded market.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
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
Both boys and girls should have the freedom to experience childhood free from the pressures of contorting their growing bodies into narrow definitions of beauty or feeling the inevitable resentment and pain that comes from trying to achieve these impossible standards.
—Ashleigh N. Deluca, Parents, 4 Sep. 2025
The media environment, across genres, has been contorting rapidly for over a decade, as creators of myriad forms of content compete for shrinking attention spans in an increasingly crowded market.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contorting
Verb
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Kimmel’s September 15 monologue accused MAGA supporters of distorting the shooter’s motives, despite reports that the assailant leaned left politically.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
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Carr said Monday that Democrats are distorting his comments and misrepresenting the work at the FCC.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Rice team designed a material that remains stable while also deforming on command, a combination not previously seen in soft structures.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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More than 3,000 Hamas fighters gunned down civilians, torturing and mutilating some of them in their own homes, still in their pajamas.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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The trailer presents the Jimmies as a downright terrifying clan, showing them violating and torturing other survivors.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Plumbing in an old house requires reaching into funny crevices and screwing things the right way.—
Matthew Hutson,
IEEE Spectrum,
22 Sep. 2025
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Put the stopper back in the sink before re-screwing the pivot nut, horizontal rod, and sliding your under sink items back into place.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Harry the catfish popped to the surface first, his fishy breath curling the grass along the bank.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
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He was denied a goal in the second half with a curling effort from an acute angle that was cleared off the line.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contorting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contorting. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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