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
Relevance
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 contortion
And this is not to shame the act of contortion.
—
Caroline Rothstein, InStyle, 30 Dec. 2025
The bodies had signs of binding the hands and feet, contortion of limbs, cut off fingertips and disfigured heads, according to Kaki.
—ABC News, 31 Oct. 2025
The oil made her body slippery, allowing rescuers to pull her out of the passageway by working in reverse and undoing all the contortions that trapped her.
—Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
The incidents highlight the contortions of the Taliban four years after seizing power of Afghanistan.
—NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
DiCaprio actually is quite funny early on in the film, but his performance loses steam in the back half, as his broad gestures and facial contortions can’t quite match the grim subtlety of Scorsese’s direction of the later scenes.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
Caroline Rothstein, InStyle, 30 Dec. 2025
The bodies had signs of binding the hands and feet, contortion of limbs, cut off fingertips and disfigured heads, according to Kaki.
—ABC News, 31 Oct. 2025
The oil made her body slippery, allowing rescuers to pull her out of the passageway by working in reverse and undoing all the contortions that trapped her.
—Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
The incidents highlight the contortions of the Taliban four years after seizing power of Afghanistan.
—NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
DiCaprio actually is quite funny early on in the film, but his performance loses steam in the back half, as his broad gestures and facial contortions can’t quite match the grim subtlety of Scorsese’s direction of the later scenes.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contortion
Noun
-
This indicates that this exotic type of deformation should not be neglected in regions where it is known to occur, even if its presence cannot be unambiguously inferred through laser spectroscopy, according to the study.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Right now, the deformation zone looks to be just south of our region, setting up along and just south of I-68.—
Ron Smiley,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In this environment, influencers and politically motivated accounts now function as de facto broadcasters, often spreading half-truths, distortions or outright falsehoods with little accountability.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Sonos says that equates to a clear sound with reduced distortion.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The body tries to repair the damage, but healing is often slow and incomplete, leaving the bone weakened and vulnerable to collapse or deformity — changes that can lead to lasting hip problems.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The genetic disorder is a connective tissue disease that leads to fragile bones and related complications like short stature, bone deformities, and fractures, per Mayo Clinic.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contortion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contortion. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
