as in gymnast
a performer who twists his or her body into unusual positions
The circus included a contortionist who could put both feet behind her head.
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Recent Examples of contortionist
One doll is a contortionist, while another is an animal tamer.
—
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024
Improbable poses, struck by working behind the scenes with contortionists, only heighten the palpable tension extended through an unusual use of taxidermy and foreboding landscapes that beg for a moment of release.
—Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2024
The two-hour Down The Rabbit Hole production sees singers, dancers, acrobats, aerial artists and contortionists in elaborate costumes perform pop hits by artists like Prince and Kylie Minogue, as well as beloved stage songs, throughout a spectacular evening.
—Natasha Amar, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024
Dawn Porter’s documentary outlines the origins of the ambitious show and captures the company’s journey to resume performances after the pandemic by shadowing some of its immensely skilled contortionists, aerialists and artistic swimmers.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for contortionist
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024
Improbable poses, struck by working behind the scenes with contortionists, only heighten the palpable tension extended through an unusual use of taxidermy and foreboding landscapes that beg for a moment of release.
—Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 18 Oct. 2024
The two-hour Down The Rabbit Hole production sees singers, dancers, acrobats, aerial artists and contortionists in elaborate costumes perform pop hits by artists like Prince and Kylie Minogue, as well as beloved stage songs, throughout a spectacular evening.
—Natasha Amar, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024
Dawn Porter’s documentary outlines the origins of the ambitious show and captures the company’s journey to resume performances after the pandemic by shadowing some of its immensely skilled contortionists, aerialists and artistic swimmers.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for contortionist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contortionist
gymnast
Noun
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Lucia Williams, pole vault, Archbishop McCarthy senior: Former gymnast matched or beat her PR in every meet this season; regional champion vaulted 3.0m at both district and regionals; was 16th at Class 3A state meet.—
Gary Curreri,
Sun Sentinel,
20 June 2025
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And the ‘Athletes Undercover’ concept was a hit, like when former LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne was walking around disguised as Pittsburgh Pirates ace pitcher Paul Skenes.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contortionist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contortionist. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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