Definition of warpnext

warp

2 of 2

verb

1
2
3
as in to deform
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition freezing warped the plastic, and now the cover won't fit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb warp contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of warp are contort, deform, and distort. While all these words mean "to mar or spoil by or as if by twisting," warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane.

warped floorboards

When could deform be used to replace warp?

The synonyms deform and warp are sometimes interchangeable, but deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.

a face deformed by hatred

How do distort and contort relate to one another, in the sense of warp?

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

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 warp
Noun
Like other latter-day classics by Cindy Lee and Los Thuthanaka, the record seems to exist in its own time warp, echoing through the years while confounding any simple, linear notion of tradition or progress. — Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026 Maintain Leather Shoes And Handbags Moisture can cause leather to shrink, warp, crack, and mildew over time. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 June 2026
Verb
Today, his lab is building a larger version of the QGI experiment that puts nanodiamonds into the same superposition—objects 10 orders of magnitude heavier than atoms, massive enough to warp spacetime around themselves. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026 While hunting for his missing wife, Marissa, Hale is dragged through an escalating nightmare of environments that loop, warp and rebuild themselves from his own memories and trauma. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for warp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for warp
Noun
  • In his first at-bat, the Mets had the bases loaded with one out.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Longtime city employee Megan Van Voorhis was appointed to fill Dignan’s position on an interim basis.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Posters are editing and manipulating the recordings to distort their content.
    — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The same narrative needs a soundbite for a podcast host, a clip for LinkedIn, a quote that a niche newsletter can run verbatim and language that an AI summary won’t distort.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Simply douse it with mildly alkaline water, and the polymer begins degrading, breaking down within minutes.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Enhancing an enzyme’s plastic-degrading speed typically required extensive genetic modifications that compromised its structural integrity.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • On a map, Newfoundland is a vast, asymmetrical island, cloven by bays and inlets, semi-detached to appendages of land deformed by ancient glaciers scraping over it, leaving glacial striations, grooves and gouges on its granite face.
    — Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The pilot can then adjust speed and make turns by pulling steering brake lines to deform the trailing edge or shifting weight in the harness.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Liu’s Met commission, with its disembodied hands, its severing and suturing of the organic and the mechanical, may be a metaphor for a civilization detached from its foundations and coming to its end.
    — Lavender Au, ARTnews.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The nation, of course, once ruled the ancient world and its past has contributed to the foundations of modern culture.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Muslim American scholars and civic leaders say sharia primarily guides worship, ethics and personal conduct, and that its demonization misrepresents ordinary religious practices while fueling anti-Muslim fear.
    — David Crary, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Meta, meanwhile, agreed last month to pay up to $17 billion to settle a lawsuit brought by a host of states that alleged the company misrepresented the extent of child mental health harms caused by apps like Facebook and Instagram.
    — Jonathan Vanian,Ari Levy, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Relations between the two countries have since deteriorated, partly over Abiy’s desire for sovereign access to the Eritrean seaport of Assab.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The latest contingent is arriving as Haiti confronts a deteriorating security and humanitarian environment and struggles to organize its first general elections in more than a decade.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Sometimes a lid isn’t screwed tightly, and your foundation proves its worth all over the inside of your bag.
    — Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Julian is played with winning charm by Daniel Ings in a role that stretches him from his usual parts, like the buffoonish screw-up brother in the series The Gentlemen.
    — Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Warp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/warp. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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