CONTORT Synonyms: 22 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'contort' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of contort are deform , distort , 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

Q: When could 'deform' be used to replace 'contort'?

While in some cases nearly identical to contort , deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth. // a face deformed by hatred

Q: Where would 'warp' be a reasonable alternative to 'contort'?

The words warp and contort are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane. // warped floorboards

contort

verb

kən-ˈtȯrt

Definition of contort next

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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How does the verb contort contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of contort are deform, distort, 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

When could deform be used to replace contort?

While in some cases nearly identical to contort, deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.

a face deformed by hatred

Where would warp be a reasonable alternative to contort?

The words warp and contort are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane.

warped floorboards

Examples 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 contort Through contorting the words on the page and addressing the reader directly, Danielewski fosters a fear that the horror within the novel’s pages will also be unleashed upon the reader. —

G Kirilloff, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 Each time, Halsey contorted her words to fit the prompt. —

Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024 What led you to choose these lenses to contort bodies and reality? —

Callum McLennan, Variety, 11 Sep. 2024 Right across the street from Dili’s parliament building sits the Timorese Residence and Archive Museum, whose harrowing displays include homespun weaponry, accounts of mass displacement, and a mannequin behind the bars of a squalid cell, face contorted in agony. —

Charlie Campbell / Dili, Timor-Leste, TIME, 4 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for contort