Synonyms of contortion

contortion

noun

as in deformation

the twisting of something out of its natural or normal shape or condition

the comedian is renowned for his seemingly endless variety of facial contortions

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deformation
• distortion
• deformity
• warping
• torturing
• misshaping
• screwing
• disfigurement
• squinching
• defacement
• malformation

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of contortion

The most conspicuous symptom of this transition, certainly, was the contortion of the nation-state, and the resulting unravelling of political cultures built up over many decades. —Literary Hub, 18 May 2026

There is also the chance to go conceptual and to study the body itself—its limitations, expressions, and even contortions, say by wearing or referencing the work of Rei Kawakubo, who was the topic of a Costume Institute exhibition in 2017. —José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 1 May 2026

There are nods to Linda Blair’s Regan in the sludgy projectile vomit that pours out of Katie, as well as the animalistic scampering, bodily contortions and levitation. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026

Wild performances kept the party going all night, with burlesque dancing from Violent Delights and Candace Cane, the latter of whom also did contortion. —Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026

As the Supreme Court sets out to untangle State Farm’s latest legal contortions, the cases will continue to pile up. —J.c. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 31 Mar. 2026

Perhaps Gartside chose music as his medium for working out his relentless questions because of its power to sidestep the analytical mind’s reflexive contortions and speak directly to the heart. —Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 15 Feb. 2026

Recently, Boston Dynamics explained Atlas’s uncanny ground-recovery move, revealing why the humanoid rises with contortions rather than standing upright. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026

And this is not to shame the act of contortion. —Caroline Rothstein, InStyle, 30 Dec. 2025