Synonyms of distort

distort

verb

di-ˈstȯrt 

1

as in to misrepresent

to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of

the coach's message was so distorted after passing through so many people that it was unintelligible

Synonyms & Similar Words

• misrepresent
• misstate
• complicate
• falsify
• misinterpret
• twist
• pervert
• obscure
• warp
• confuse
• censor
• garble
• cook
• slant
• color
• bend
• fudge
• misrelate
• mistake
• mask
• disguise
• dissemble
• camouflage
• belie
• mistranslate
• lie
• whitewash
• veil
• gloss (over)
• mystify
• misspeak
• confound
• misdescribe
• bowdlerize
• prevaricate
• equivocate
• mix (up)
• palter
• fib

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• explain
• interpret
• illustrate
• clarify
• clear (up)
• illuminate
• spell out
• decipher

2

as in to deform

to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition

if you keep distorting your face like that, someday it's going to freeze in that position

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deform
• contort
• screw
• curl
• misshape
• warp
• torture
• disfigure
• deface
• squinch
• loop
• wring
• wind
• spiral
• coil
• wrest
• wrench
• twine
• wreathe

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straighten
• unbend
• uncurl

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb distort contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of distort are contort, deform, 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.

the odd camera angle distorts the figure

disease had contorted her body

In what contexts can deform take the place of distort?

Although the words deform and distort have much in common, deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.

a face deformed by hatred

When is it sensible to use warp instead of distort?

In some situations, the words warp and distort are roughly equivalent. However, warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane.

warped floorboards

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of distort

This included attempts to reshape exhibits at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, fueling fears that the representation of Black history could be distorted—or erased entirely. —Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 8 Apr. 2025

But the only thing that is wild here is how badly the science supporting fluoridation is being distorted or ignored. —Megha Satyanarayana, Scientific American, 4 Apr. 2025

Importers have already scrambled to front-load shipments ahead of tariff hikes, distorting gross domestic product growth figures in Q1 2025 while setting up a drag for Q2. —Bob Haber, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025

Rosenworcel also dismissed a challenge to a Fox station license alleging that Fox willfully distorted news with false reports of fraud in the 2020 election that Trump lost. —ArsTechnica, 7 Apr. 2025