Synonym Chooser

How does the verb distort contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of distort are contort, deform, and warp. While all these words mean "to mar or spoil by or as if by twisting," 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

In what contexts can deform take the place of distort?

Although the words deform and distort have much in common, deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.

a face deformed by hatred

When is it sensible to use warp instead of distort?

In some situations, the words warp and distort are roughly equivalent. However, warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane.

warped floorboards

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 distort Thereafter, the appearance of a triangle will become increasingly distorted until finally on April 9, Mars, Pollux and Castor will again appear in a straight line. Joe Rao, Space.com, 17 Feb. 2025 In that way, uncertainty is like a tax, distorting decisions and making the economy as a whole less efficient. Ben Casselman, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025 This narrative, amplified by figures like Trump, Musk, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has not only distorted the reality of land reform in South Africa but has also fueled the far-right's broader agenda in many Western countries. Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025 And the tool is accused of distorting the free market and subsidizing growth that would have happened anyway. Jonathan Shorman and, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for distort
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distort
Verb
  • Avoid guessing or making up a story that misrepresents the financial facts.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
  • This alienation extends beyond the field, affecting how women in rugby and other sports are misrepresented and underrepresented in the media.
    Paige Perricone, The Denver Post, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The batteries were also tested at temperatures as high as 200 degrees Celsius; the output voltage was nearly the same in spite of the heat, and the battery didn’t expand or deform excessively.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Feb. 2025
  • Another expression emerged from everyday objects, which inspired Lynch to deform the mundane into a hellish din.
    Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Lee not only swung at the offering but awkwardly contorted his body and lost his helmet in the process.
    Justice delos Santos, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2025
  • But Big Food is adept at contorting nutrition science to promote its products.
    Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The comedian curls the viewer into the drama of his own debasement, Limon theorized, and the relationship is christened, if the joke works, with a laughter that amalgamates the many into one.
    Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Her cigarettes stayed in the bathroom, smoke curling out the window and drifting over the neighbor’s fence.
    Jackie Charniga, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • That’s a surefire way to bend the brim and otherwise misshape it.
    Talia Ergas, Travel + Leisure, 27 June 2023
  • The misshapen hemoglobin misshape the cells.
    Jason Mast, STAT, 19 Dec. 2022
Verb
  • In many cases, this directive style warped into micromanagement, where leaders who may have been ill-equipped to transition to the fully remote and hybrid-work conditions tried to compensate through excessive control, surveillance, and monitoring.
    Melissa A. Wheeler, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Not only can shoes warp in size with use, but also, the length and width of your feet will change over time due to things like aging, pregnancy, and weight fluctuations, Dr. Ward says.
    Erica Sloan, SELF, 21 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Distort.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distort. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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