as in deformations
the twisting of something out of its natural or normal shape or condition
had to total the car due to a distortion of the chassis resulting from collision
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Recent Examples of distortions
Economists warn that residual distortions in the consumer price index from the October government shutdown are expected to continue to weigh on the index for the next several months, making inflation appear somewhat cooler than underlying pressures.
—
Arkansas Online, 9 Mar. 2026
Wealth taxes affect entrepreneurial decision-making, reduce returns on investment, introduce economic distortions and undermine job creation and business expansion.
—Jared Walczak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
The distortions of segregation in the South in the forties left their mark, to be sure, but behind his tropism for the limelight, underneath all the braggadocio that is mistaken for arrogance, lies Jesse Louis Jackson's greatest longing in life—the lust for legitimacy.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
The presence of other participants acts a key moderating factor in tempering ego and perceptual distortions that often occur with psychedelic use.
—Erica Rex, STAT, 19 Feb. 2026
My request to the Birdo animation studio was that the movements have a certain weight and intensity to appear real, without the exaggerated distortions typical of conventional 2D animation.
—Kevin Giraud, Variety, 15 Feb. 2026
Margarita Khemlin, a Russian-language writer born and raised in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv after the war, began writing only after the fall of the Soviet Union, with full awareness of the distortions littering Soviet speech.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Karen Jaroch of Heritage Action was on hand at a Florida Senate hearing armed with Heritage’s usual distortions.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
Paying the tax typically requires selling assets or borrowing against them, triggering capital gains taxes, leverage risks, and further distortions.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
Arkansas Online, 9 Mar. 2026
Wealth taxes affect entrepreneurial decision-making, reduce returns on investment, introduce economic distortions and undermine job creation and business expansion.
—Jared Walczak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
The distortions of segregation in the South in the forties left their mark, to be sure, but behind his tropism for the limelight, underneath all the braggadocio that is mistaken for arrogance, lies Jesse Louis Jackson's greatest longing in life—the lust for legitimacy.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
The presence of other participants acts a key moderating factor in tempering ego and perceptual distortions that often occur with psychedelic use.
—Erica Rex, STAT, 19 Feb. 2026
My request to the Birdo animation studio was that the movements have a certain weight and intensity to appear real, without the exaggerated distortions typical of conventional 2D animation.
—Kevin Giraud, Variety, 15 Feb. 2026
Margarita Khemlin, a Russian-language writer born and raised in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv after the war, began writing only after the fall of the Soviet Union, with full awareness of the distortions littering Soviet speech.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Karen Jaroch of Heritage Action was on hand at a Florida Senate hearing armed with Heritage’s usual distortions.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026
Paying the tax typically requires selling assets or borrowing against them, triggering capital gains taxes, leverage risks, and further distortions.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distortions
Noun
-
Most of the shifts and deformations gradually returned to normal by six months after return to Earth.—
Rachael Seidler,
Space.com,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The engineers then continuously tracked the slabs’ deformations.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In December 2023, the FDA issued a warning about the dangers of fat-dissolving injections after many reports of severe side effects, including permanent scars, serious infections, skin deformities, cysts, and deep, painful knots.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
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Investigators documented animals with health concerns including overgrown hooves, draining abscesses and limb deformities.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Distortions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distortions. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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