Synonyms of distort

distort

verb

di-ˈstȯrt 

1

as in to misrepresent

to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of

the coach's message was so distorted after passing through so many people that it was unintelligible

Synonyms & Similar Words

• misrepresent
• misstate
• complicate
• falsify
• misinterpret
• twist
• pervert
• obscure
• warp
• confuse
• censor
• garble
• cook
• slant
• color
• bend
• fudge
• misrelate
• mistake
• mask
• disguise
• dissemble
• camouflage
• belie
• mistranslate
• lie
• whitewash
• veil
• gloss (over)
• mystify
• misspeak
• confound
• misdescribe
• bowdlerize
• prevaricate
• equivocate
• mix (up)
• palter
• fib

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• explain
• interpret
• illustrate
• clarify
• clear (up)
• illuminate
• spell out
• decipher

2

as in to deform

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

if you keep distorting your face like that, someday it's going to freeze in that position

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straighten
• unbend
• uncurl

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb distort contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of distort are contort, deform, and warp. While all these words mean "to mar or spoil by or as if by twisting," 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

In what contexts can deform take the place of distort?

Although the words deform and distort have much in common, deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.

a face deformed by hatred

When is it sensible to use warp instead of distort?

In some situations, the words warp and distort 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 distort

But this narrative distorts the realities of power politics and obscures the challenges of acting in concert. —Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025

The telescope can map out the location of otherwise-invisible dark matter by looking for signs of gravitational lensing—the phenomenon where the gravity from massive objects distorts the light from galaxies behind them. —Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025

Law & the Courts Injunction Dysfunction Is a Threat to Our System Andrew C. McCarthy Nationwide rulings by judges in single districts distort American politics. —Mary Katharine Ham, National Review, 17 Apr. 2025

My own experience with autoimmune encephalitis—a disease that distorted my reality, sending me into psychosis and delusions—had left me fascinated by the potentials and limits of our minds. —Susannah Cahalan, Vogue, 14 Apr. 2025