Thesaurus results for CONTORTION

contortion

noun

Definition of contortion

as in deformation

the twisting of something out of its natural or normal shape or condition the comedian is renowned for his seemingly endless variety of facial contortions

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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 contortion One feature of the July weather pattern in the US was a seemingly endless series of heat domes that popped up in different parts of the country depending on the contortions of the jet stream. — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 Moore’s expressive face has courted much attention across the icon’s Hollywood career, with her facial contortions drawing critical praise (and, sometimes, the meme treatment) over the years. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Aug. 2026 All this chugs along satisfyingly even with the occasional patch of sluggishness and the usual overly convoluted plot contortions. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 July 2026 The screams, contortions and vocal shifts were made without CGI or artificial intelligence, and that detail is its own form of campaign currency in an era when audiences and voters alike are increasingly skeptical of digital enhancement. — Clayton Davis, Variety, 15 June 2026 The majority’s contortion of the Purcell principle may be the most disturbing aspect of its order. — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 The Russian state has often forced its people into strange contortions of the mind. — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 6 June 2026 The most conspicuous symptom of this transition, certainly, was the contortion of the nation-state, and the resulting unravelling of political cultures built up over many decades. — Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 There is also the chance to go conceptual and to study the body itself—its limitations, expressions, and even contortions, say by wearing or referencing the work of Rei Kawakubo, who was the topic of a Costume Institute exhibition in 2017. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 1 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contortion

Noun

These could include intense earthquake swarms, rapid ground deformation, changing gas emissions, and unusual heat flow.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Chanard and her colleagues used high-resolution satellite measurements to track ground deformation and groundwater levels in the Sacramento Valley from 2016 to 2022.

— Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of deformation

Noun

South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago said exempting crypto from capital controls would create an unfair distortion.

— Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026
For oxygen measurement to be reliable, the industry needs robust sensors, better diagnostics, simpler field verification and installations that reduce the chance of sample distortion.

— Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of distortion

Noun

Fetuses of mice suddenly exposed to QACs developed deformities and neural tube defects similar to spina bifida in humans.

— Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
In January, researchers at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine published a study analyzing three dogs from the same litter with varying degrees of deformity.

— Greta Cross, USA Today, 31 July 2026

Definition of deformity

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“Contortion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contortion. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of contortion

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