as in to distort
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition
the acrobat is able to contort his body so that it almost looks like a pretzel
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Recent Examples of contort
Because you’re done contorting, shrinking, softening, and waiting for permission.
—
Samyra, SELF, 14 Jan. 2026
The Thunder, contorting around the Frenchman’s wingspan, shot better than 68 percent inside the paint on just one fewer attempt than San Antonio.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Then, while Williams was stoic, Storrie feigned nervousness about presenting, contorting himself into knots.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
Their necks contorted slightly and smiles spread across their faces as the high-definition videos started and their journeys commenced.
—Haven Daley, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contort
Samyra, SELF, 14 Jan. 2026
The Thunder, contorting around the Frenchman’s wingspan, shot better than 68 percent inside the paint on just one fewer attempt than San Antonio.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Then, while Williams was stoic, Storrie feigned nervousness about presenting, contorting himself into knots.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2026
Their necks contorted slightly and smiles spread across their faces as the high-definition videos started and their journeys commenced.
—Haven Daley, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for contort
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contort
Verb
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Since his return to office in 2025, this firehose of lies has only accelerated, distorting everything from economic data to constitutional law.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
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Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, said the data was distorted by the timing of the Lunar New Year, which falls in mid-February this year after taking place in January last year.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Hadi tells an engaging story, brings complex and surprising characters to life, lends a locale an aesthetic iconography, and renders personal identity inextricable from the forces of history that shaped or deformed it.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
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Conventional drones hit their limits at around 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) as their frame deforms and electronics fail.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contort.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contort. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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