warp 1 of 2

Definition of warpnext

warp

2 of 2

verb

1
2
3
as in to deform
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition freezing warped the plastic, and now the cover won't fit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb warp contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of warp are contort, deform, and distort. While all these words mean "to mar or spoil by or as if by twisting," warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane.

warped floorboards

When could deform be used to replace warp?

The synonyms deform and warp are sometimes interchangeable, but deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.

a face deformed by hatred

How do distort and contort relate to one another, in the sense of warp?

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

How does the verb warp contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of warp are contort, deform, and distort. While all these words mean "to mar or spoil by or as if by twisting," warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane.

warped floorboards

When could deform be used to replace warp?

The synonyms deform and warp are sometimes interchangeable, but deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.

a face deformed by hatred

How do distort and contort relate to one another, in the sense of warp?

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

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of warp
Noun
Fabrics are woven using longitudinal and latitudinal threads called warp and weft, respectively. Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 2 Jan. 2026 Luckily for her, there’s Zach (Bryan Greenberg), a D&D aficionado who knows a thing or two about time-warp movies. Janey Tracey, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Dec. 2025
Verb
Sokolov also wields a much shorter lens, warping and exaggerating space with each swinging motion, while his cast moves in almost dance-like fashion. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026 Some on the right believe Scripture has been warped by progressive Christians. Haajrah Gilani, Houston Chronicle, 15 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for warp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for warp
Noun
  • Alvarado loaded the bases before Guel’s hit and then added 2 runs on 2 errors by the Wildcats.
    Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Cruises are available on a space-available basis only.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Objects were frequently distorted or missing key components.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Their shapes often distort as one galaxy exerts tidal forces on the other.
    Big Think, Big Think, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • More than 100 aircraft launched from land and sea in the first day, with cyber and space campaigns degrading Iranian communications and sensors while the air campaign struck command-and-control centers, ballistic-missile sites, naval forces and intelligence infrastructure.
    Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Instead, officials refocused the strategic narrative on their ambitions to degrade Iran's conventional military – especially ballistic missile – and nuclear programs.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Kinks are critical in determining where a material deforms, appearing in situations such as metals bending permanently or DNA strands separating.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Mar. 2026
  • Don’t forget the gasp-inducing images of dicks mangled by one Dr. Loria in New York City, who has proudly refused malpractice insurance but allegedly left a number of men deformed after pumping them up with chunky-looking filler.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • An opportunity to rebuild your emotional foundation arrives as Saturn teams up with Pluto.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 28 Mar. 2026
  • This was the foundation on which my shaky sense of security was built—that my birth had changed everything.
    Zayd Ayers Dohrn, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Under the settlement, Match and OkCupid must stop misrepresenting their data practices and privacy controls, but no financial penalties were imposed.
    Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Following the revelation that Immigration and Customs Enforcement misrepresented its authority to arrest people in immigration court, Congressman Dan Goldman Friday demanded ICE and the Department of Homeland Security provide a full accounting of everyone swept up by the aggressive practice.
    Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • For years, lawyers have alleged that inmates receive expired, undercooked or contaminated food, including spoiled meat and deteriorated dairy products.
    Michael Rios, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Now the war has turned into a race to stabilize the rapidly deteriorating global economic order, central to which is reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
    Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In another part of the factory, a worker used a wooden stick, like a tongue compressor at a doctor’s office, to scrape excess bits of explosive out of the grooves inside each shell, ensuring that the base would screw on smoothly.
    Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The result is that many contestants are frequent collaborators and have long histories with one another, adding extra juice to their attempts to screw each other over.
    Claire McNear, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Warp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/warp. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on warp

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster