warp 1 of 2

warp

2 of 2

verb

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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
Long before Hollywood dreamed of warp drives and AI companions, authors like Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells, and Isaac Asimov were crafting worlds that questioned humanity's place in the cosmos and the consequences of its own inventions. Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 9 Sep. 2025 Boiling water can make pipes soften and sag, or even come apart if the glue melts or the pipes warp. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
The English Wikipedia is now roughly 93 times bigger than Encyclopædia Britannica, the shelf-warping print leviathan that fascinated him as a child. Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025 Some customers noticed warping or bubbling of the backing material over time. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for warp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for warp
Noun
  • With the 240v power most EV owners use on a daily basis at home or work, 0%-100% takes about 11 hours.
    Mark Phelan, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Developed with technical support from Quantis, the questionnaire is available to all fashion brands on an optional and non-exclusive basis.
    Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Over the summer, officials in Turkey — where the lawsuit says some of the allegedly fraudulent Drake streams originated — started investigating Spotify over several allegations, including bribes for playlist placement and bot streams distorting domestic charts.
    Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Meanwhile, the right shoe starts with a black pigskin suede base and mixes in blurred and distorted details to represent the pixelated side.
    Riley Jones, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Mirrors have poor reflectivity and degrade fast, while normal lenses absorb XUV light and stretch the attosecond pulses, blurring their precision.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Wallin points out that half of the world’s GDP, amounting to $44 trillion, is directly dependent on nature, yet the essential systems that support economic stability continue to be degraded.
    Nia Bowers, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • One of those difficulties was figuring out how to square the minimal and highly refined designs of Mies and Johnson with the raw and sometimes deformed materials salvaged from RedBird.
    Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2025
  • 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
Noun
  • The discovery revealed how genetic information is stored and replicated and created the foundation for modern genetic engineering, disease treatment with genes and DNA identification techniques, according to The Associated Press.
    Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Items like mascara and eyeliner have shorter lifespans due to their potential for bacteria, while blush, foundation, and concealer might be okay for more prolonged use.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Translate all documents given to detainees into Spanish and refrain from misrepresenting their contents.
    Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Residents and local leaders have said that TCEQ misrepresented the nature of the intersection in a traffic study completed for the application.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Residents should also remain alert to rapidly changing forecasts, as conditions may deteriorate quickly.
    Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Grace appears dazed when others pick up on her ache, and takes a perverse pleasure in Jackson’s struggle to deal with her deteriorating mental health.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • And, as usual, the people with the fewest resources will get screwed.
    Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Time, 4 Nov. 2025
  • No matter what Robert does, he’s totally screwed.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Warp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/warp. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.

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