DISTORTED Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

distorted 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈstȯr-təd

Definition of distorted

as in monstrous

badly or imperfectly formed surgery to correct a distorted foot

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

distorted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of distort

as in misrepresented

to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of the coach's message was so distorted after passing through so many people that it was unintelligible

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in deformed

to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition if you keep distorting your face like that, someday it's going to freeze in that position

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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 distorted

Adjective

Sector leaders have warned for years that judging nonprofits too heavily by overhead can create distorted incentives. — Matt Emma, USA Today, 16 July 2026 In many cases, Kallis said, the roots of this behavior were planted long before, frequently through trauma, abuse, isolation, addiction or distorted coping mechanisms that were never confronted or healed. — Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026

Verb

Some call it life-altering, with out-of-body experiences, incredibly vivid hallucinations, distorted time perception, and… encounters with mysterious entities. — Charles Moss, SPIN, 16 July 2026 Neither data-center operators nor utilities provide much insight; what public information exists can be contextualized, recontextualized, and distorted to suggest basically anything. — Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for distorted

Recent Examples of Synonyms for distorted

Adjective

When it’s finally revealed that there are monstrous beings at work, there’s little justification of what their goals are.

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
His monstrous power should be on full display this afternoon and result in a home run.

— Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of monstrous

Verb

Many of the characters are deformed in some way, though Williams does not adopt the language of disability to describe their particular experiences.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
By watching and analyzing how the soft fingers deformed, the AI could tell the difference between touching sand and touching the pen, estimate the pen’s location, and guide the gripper to lift it out.

— Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 20 July 2026

Definition of deformed

Adjective

No term in American politics is quite as slippery or misshapen.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2026
Look for roots emerging from the drainage holes or a container that’s bulging or misshapen, says Lisa Eldred Steinkopf, houseplant expert and author of The Houseplant Guru.

— Colleen Sullivan, Martha Stewart, 21 July 2026

Definition of misshapen

Verb

In the classic entrepreneurial discussion, hope gets twisted a bit.

— Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
Quixotic aerialists twisted, turned and unfolded above the crowd, using flowing fabric and butterfly-inspired movements to mirror the creatures being celebrated.

— Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of twisted

Verb

Years after Leontes, a king contorted by jealousy, has ordered that his wife, the blameless Hermione, be put to death, a curtain is drawn back to reveal what appears to be a statue of her.

— Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
The hosting procedure for the 2030 and 2034 tournaments was contorted to prevent Saudi Arabia from facing opposition.

— Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of contorted

Adjective

Sensitive data appears in unstructured documents, malformed files, collaboration tools and AI workflows that summarize, transform and combine information.

— Asaf Kochan, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Cinematographer Mátyás Erdély’s gaslamp wash makes the whole thing visually alluring, but the story up to this point is one of malformed double entendres, as Moulin and his cohorts react to more important plots unfolding elsewhere in the war.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 May 2026

Definition of malformed

Verb

Dandara dos Santos was tortured and beaten to death by a group of twelve people, who eventually tossed her body in a wheelbarrow, shot her, and posted a video of the crime on social media.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
Yes, Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black boy who was abducted, tortured and lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after a White woman accused him of making an advance toward her.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of tortured

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“Distorted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distorted. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of distorted

adjective

verb

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