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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
Examples of contort in a Sentence
Selome Hailu, Variety, 14 Apr. 2024
No matter how much some Republicans are contorting themselves over IVF, the fact is, an embryo in the womb is no different than an embryo in a freezer.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Soccer has been contorted more than enough to suit the demands of the powerhouses.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Brill, so nervy and and raw as Astrov in Uncle Vanya this summer, is almost frayed to pieces as Reg, able to contort his body into postures that range from unsettling to pathetically funny.
—Vulture, 29 Oct. 2023
The sneaker is extremely lightweight and bendy, contorting to a more compact size without losing its shape, which is great for trips that require you to pack light.
—Shelby Hyde, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Feb. 2024
The thumbnail shows Combs, his face contorted in anguish, next to an image of a police officer escorting him by the arm.
—Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 30 Jan. 2024
The next room, a 5,000-square-foot space with 40-foot ceilings, uses 26 projectors to display shifting, contorting images from Nachum’s artwork: a giant bird flapping its wings, a cascade of flower petals, a person wearing a crown with Braille on it.
—Christopher Kuo, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024
However, women in our community participate in the phenomenon, often contorting their bodies to achieve a specific archetype of curviness and acceptance.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 6 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contort.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near contort
Cite this Entry
“Contort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contort. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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contort
verb
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