warp 1 of 2

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
The production warps choirs and tambourines into his own sort of gospel. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2025 As Hugo points out to Jess later, the boat’s close quarters warp perspective. Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
Two plays warped the numbers in this game. Derrik Klassen, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025 Once the familiar franchise fog creeps into town, a wave of red spider lilies crashes behind it, warping Ebisugaoka and its inhabitants with a sickly red and pink glow. Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for warp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for warp
Noun
  • Corps officials will evaluate each request on a case-by-case basis.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The Chiefs out-gained the Jaguars by more than 150 yards and were far better on a per-play basis, too.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Massive objects, like foreground galaxies, gravitationally distort any light traveling along their line-of-sight.
    Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 6 Oct. 2025
  • During the Milken Institute Asia Summit held in Singapore, experts warned that retail inflows could distort pricing, erode returns and destabilize fund structures designed for long-term investments or patient capital.
    Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Douglass advises against starting from the assumption that people arrive somewhere and immediately begin to degrade the environment.
    Ari Daniel, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025
  • This process degrades the mirrors' reflectivity and clarity over time, so technicians regularly recoat and polish them to ensure the best precision.
    Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • In free fall, the sheet deforms into an upside-down bell when a weight is attached at its center.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Su noted that his background in mathematics, statistics, and engineering has given him the foundation to tackle the complex challenges of AI, from data analytics to pattern recognition and modeling.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2025
  • For her, working at her family’s foundation, and later founding 21/64, provided a means to accept her bequest without shame.
    Christina Binkley, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Then later, after Flores had died, the litigation accuses Freedman of publicly defending himself by betraying attorney-client confidences and misrepresenting the merits of Flores’ own case in the media.
    Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2025
  • This report repeatedly misrepresents our efforts to empower parents and protect teens, misstating how our safety tools work and how millions of parents and teens are using them today.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Run defense by the safety opposite Minkah Fitzpatrick also has deteriorated.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The plan has seen rapid growth in recent years as California’s insurance market has deteriorated, with companies pulling back business in the state due to rising risks from climate change, losses caused by major wildfires and other factors.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Both have magnets screwed to one end for attaching the corresponding front or top panel, and both are filled with a multi-spaced bracket for installing 120mm to 200mm fans.
    Thomas Soderstrom, PC Magazine, 4 Oct. 2025
  • And screw Dalot for that bad pass.
    Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Warp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/warp. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on warp

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!