as in deformations
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of contortions
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
There are nods to Linda Blair’s Regan in the sludgy projectile vomit that pours out of Katie, as well as the animalistic scampering, bodily contortions and levitation.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
As the Supreme Court sets out to untangle State Farm’s latest legal contortions, the cases will continue to pile up.
—J.c. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 31 Mar. 2026
Perhaps Gartside chose music as his medium for working out his relentless questions because of its power to sidestep the analytical mind’s reflexive contortions and speak directly to the heart.
—Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 15 Feb. 2026
Recently, Boston Dynamics explained Atlas’s uncanny ground-recovery move, revealing why the humanoid rises with contortions rather than standing upright.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026
The oil made her body slippery, allowing rescuers to pull her out of the passageway by working in reverse and undoing all the contortions that trapped her.
—Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
The incidents highlight the contortions of the Taliban four years after seizing power of Afghanistan.
—NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
DiCaprio actually is quite funny early on in the film, but his performance loses steam in the back half, as his broad gestures and facial contortions can’t quite match the grim subtlety of Scorsese’s direction of the later scenes.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 1 May 2026
There are nods to Linda Blair’s Regan in the sludgy projectile vomit that pours out of Katie, as well as the animalistic scampering, bodily contortions and levitation.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
As the Supreme Court sets out to untangle State Farm’s latest legal contortions, the cases will continue to pile up.
—J.c. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 31 Mar. 2026
Perhaps Gartside chose music as his medium for working out his relentless questions because of its power to sidestep the analytical mind’s reflexive contortions and speak directly to the heart.
—Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 15 Feb. 2026
Recently, Boston Dynamics explained Atlas’s uncanny ground-recovery move, revealing why the humanoid rises with contortions rather than standing upright.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026
The oil made her body slippery, allowing rescuers to pull her out of the passageway by working in reverse and undoing all the contortions that trapped her.
—Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
The incidents highlight the contortions of the Taliban four years after seizing power of Afghanistan.
—NPR, 14 Oct. 2025
DiCaprio actually is quite funny early on in the film, but his performance loses steam in the back half, as his broad gestures and facial contortions can’t quite match the grim subtlety of Scorsese’s direction of the later scenes.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contortions
Noun
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Reference markers printed directly onto the silicone collar let a tiny onboard camera measure those deformations in real time.—
Omar Kardoudi
April 23,
New Atlas,
23 Apr. 2026
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Most of the shifts and deformations gradually returned to normal by six months after return to Earth.—
Rachael Seidler,
Space.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This will allow Roman to hunt down exoplanets through flickers, or distortions, in starlight as planets pass in front of stars — assuming the distortions aren't due to starquakes, or some other stellar phenomena.—
Elizabeth Howell,
Space.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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The film opens with real mirages filmed near Aswan in Egypt, where atmospheric conditions produce optical distortions.—
Lise Pedersen,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The toebox’s square shape is also particularly accommodating for bunion deformities.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Apr. 2026
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Fish embryos that grow in the presence of oil may be born with heart defects, as well as spine and skull deformities.—
Jeffrey Marlow,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Contortions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contortions. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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