distorted; distorting; distorts
1
: to twist (see twist entry 1 sense 3b) out of the true meaning or proportion : to alter to give a false or unnatural picture or account
distorted the facts
2
: to twist out of a natural, normal, or original shape or condition
a face distorted by pain
also
: to cause to be perceived unnaturally
the new lights distorted colors
The singer's voice was electronically distorted.
3
: pervert
distort justice
: to become distorted
Heat caused the wax figures to distort.
also
: to cause a twisting from the true, natural, or normal
distorter
noun
Synonyms
Examples of distort in a Sentence
Her face was distorted by pain.
The odd camera angle distorted her figure in the photograph.
The sound of the guitar was distorted.
Heat caused the plastic to distort.
She felt he was distorting the facts.
The story was distorted by the press.
The loss of both her parents at an early age distorted her outlook on life.
Recent Examples on the Web
The message grossly distorts standard FBI language used in search warrants.
—
Joe Davidson, Washington Post, 28 June 2024
A little truth, a lot of malarky Social media pundits often espouse ideas that distort a grain of truth, such as pointing to data that shows a simultaneous rise in sunscreen use and new melanoma diagnoses.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 21 June 2024
Gaslighting is a type of psychological abuse where the abuser tries to make the victim doubt; the abuser does this by distorting reality, lying, denying, and making the victim question their judgment and intuition.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 21 June 2024
Here are some last-minute gift ideas One person, dog killed in Plainfield house fire
CT man arrested by state police after traffic stop leads to discovery of crystal meth
How Trump urging Russia to invade ‘delinquent’ NATO members distorts how the alliance works
Need help with snow removal in CT?
—Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for distort 
Joe Davidson, Washington Post, 28 June 2024
A little truth, a lot of malarky Social media pundits often espouse ideas that distort a grain of truth, such as pointing to data that shows a simultaneous rise in sunscreen use and new melanoma diagnoses.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 21 June 2024
Gaslighting is a type of psychological abuse where the abuser tries to make the victim doubt; the abuser does this by distorting reality, lying, denying, and making the victim question their judgment and intuition.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 21 June 2024
Here are some last-minute gift ideas One person, dog killed in Plainfield house fire
CT man arrested by state police after traffic stop leads to discovery of crystal meth
How Trump urging Russia to invade ‘delinquent’ NATO members distorts how the alliance works
Need help with snow removal in CT?
—Hartford Courant, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for distort
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Dictionary Entries Near distort
Cite this Entry
“Distort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distort. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
distort
verb
dis·tort
dis-ˈtȯ(ə)rt 
1
: to tell in a way that is misleading : misrepresent
distorted the facts
2
: to twist out of a natural, normal, or original shape or condition
distorter
noun
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