Synonyms of deform

deform

verb

di-ˈfȯrm 

as in to distort

to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition

a cynic whose face seems to be permanently deformed by a sneer

Synonyms & Similar Words

• distort
• contort
• screw
• curl
• misshape
• warp
• torture
• disfigure
• deface
• squinch
• loop
• coil
• spiral
• wind
• wring
• wrench
• twine
• wrest
• wreathe

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straighten
• unbend
• uncurl

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb deform contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deform are contort, distort, and warp. While all these words mean "to mar or spoil by or as if by twisting," deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.

a face deformed by hatred

How are the words distort and contort related as synonyms of deform?

Distort and contort both imply a wrenching from the natural or normal, but contort suggests a more involved twisting and a more grotesque and painful result.

the odd camera angle distorts the figure

disease had contorted her body

When can warp be used instead of deform?

In some situations, the words warp and deform are roughly equivalent. However, warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane.

warped floorboards

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of deform

When drivers are operating the vehicles, the wheel’s seating surface may deform, causing the wheel nut to loosen and detach, leading to the wheel separating from the vehicle. —Saleen Martin, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025

In the past few years, the nation’s collective memory—never the strongest—has been relentlessly deformed by right-wing propaganda. —Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025

Smaller implants are also lighter, more comfortable, and less apt to stretch, strain, and deform the tissues over time. —Jolene Edgar, Allure, 15 Oct. 2025

The Sun’s magnetic field lines can be very twisted, and the solar wind and coronal mass ejections deform and drag them outward from the Sun. —Samuel Badman, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2025