contorted; contorting; contorts
: to twist in a violent manner
features contorted with fury
: to twist into or as if into a strained shape or expression
His face contorted in a grimace of pain.
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
Examples of contort in a Sentence
His body contorted with pain.
The boy contorted his body to squeeze through the gate.
Her face was contorted with rage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Midway through the fourth quarter, Wilson reached back with one arm in the endzone and contorted his body to snatch the ball out of the air while Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter could only watch on.
—
Ben Morse, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024
Rather than contorting their efforts to fit the specifications of a funder’s vision, nonprofits instead receive unrestricted, multi-year grants with minimal reporting requirements.
—Katie Jennings, Forbes, 19 Oct. 2024
As The Grinch, the big sell is the way Carrey naturally contorts his face to conjure the Seussian character’s trademark grimace.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
Madame Web, in addition to generally making viewers concerned there’s a gas leak, contorts itself around Spider-Man’s absence.
—James Grebey, TIME, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contort 
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.
Ben Morse, CNN, 1 Nov. 2024
Rather than contorting their efforts to fit the specifications of a funder’s vision, nonprofits instead receive unrestricted, multi-year grants with minimal reporting requirements.
—Katie Jennings, Forbes, 19 Oct. 2024
As The Grinch, the big sell is the way Carrey naturally contorts his face to conjure the Seussian character’s trademark grimace.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
Madame Web, in addition to generally making viewers concerned there’s a gas leak, contorts itself around Spider-Man’s absence.
—James Grebey, TIME, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for contort
Dictionary Entries Near contort
Cite this Entry
“Contort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contort. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
contort
verb
con·tort
kən-ˈtȯ(ə)rt 
: to twist into an unusual appearance or unnatural shape
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share