contort
verb
transitive verb
intransitive verb
Did you know?
Circus contortionists are known for twisting their bodies into pretzels; such contortions tend to be easier for females than for males, and much easier for the young than for the old. When trying to say something uncomfortable or dishonest, people often go through verbal contortions. But when someone else "twists" something you said or did, we usually say instead that they've distorted it.
Synonyms
- deform
- distort
- misshape
- screw
- squinch
- torture
- warp
Example Sentences
Anne D’innocenzio, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2022 Sima’s strong-willed client Aparna Shewakramani became a fan favorite for refusing to contort herself to fit other people’s expectations. Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 17 Aug. 2022 The Joby GripTight is a popular and affordable tripod with legs that can contort to stay stable on almost any surface, though a height-adjustable tripod like this might be a better option. Julian Chokkattu, Wired, 20 July 2022 The workshop participants — a 50/50 split of Circus Project troupe members and media people like me — learned how to contort their bodies, hula hoop, and move just a little bit more like a real Cirque performer. Zella Hanson | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 30 June 2022 If a potential solution requires your business to contort its workflows to fit a new product, take the time to reconsider your needs and what your solution does to meet those needs. Will Moxley, Forbes, 27 June 2022 This wasn't a World Cup qualifier, so U.S. Soccer shouldn't need to contort the rules of the ticketing process to ensure a majority, pro-U.S. crowd (which Wednesday still seemed to be, by the way). Pat Brennan, The Enquirer, 2 June 2022 Adults, however, will have to squeeze, bend, squish and contort their arms and legs to sit in some three-row SUVs. Bymorgan Korn, ABC News, 8 May 2022 In 1692, a group of young girls, including Parris’ own daughter, Betty, and his niece, Abigail, began to bark like dogs and contort their bodies after allegedly attempting to divine their future. Brooklyn White, Essence, 29 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Middle English, from Latin contortus, past participle of contorquēre, from com- + torquēre to twist — more at torture entry 1
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Kids Definition
contort
verb
contort
verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- distort
- deform
- curl
- screw
- torture
- warp
- misshape
- disfigure
- squinch
- deface
- spiral
- wring
- loop
- coil
- wind
- wrench
- twine
- wrest
- wreathe
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- straighten
- uncurl
- unbend
Synonym Chooser
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.
While in some cases nearly identical to contort, deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.
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.