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
These misconceptions have distorted our rightful understanding of ourselves as the world’s preeminent nation of immigrants.
—
Peter Skerry, National Review, 18 Apr. 2024
One issue was a resurgence of commercial messaging that distorted nutrition facts through clever marketing.
—TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
In 1919, a pair of astronomers who were watching an eclipse verified Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity by measuring how the sun distorts the light from other stars.
—Yaakov Zinberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
Ketamine has a variety of effects on the body including hallucinations, distorting perceptions of sight and sound, and making the person feel disconnected from their body and environment, the DEA says.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
The use of words like 'occupation' to describe an indigenous Jewish people defending a homeland that dates back thousands of years, and has been recognized as a state by the United Nations, distorts history.
—Staff Author, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024
Last month, on a visit to a solar panel factory in Georgia, Yellen said China’s excess capacity was distorting prices and production patterns and hurting American firms and workers.
—Laura He, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
The computer program is just adding more information in an effort to make the image sharper, which can often distort what’s really there.
—Matt Novak / Gizmodo, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Their scarcity hints that preservation bias distorts archaeologists’ view of the past: Stone tools persist over the millennia, whereas wood typically decays.
—Byandrew Curry, science.org, 1 Apr. 2024
Peter Skerry, National Review, 18 Apr. 2024
One issue was a resurgence of commercial messaging that distorted nutrition facts through clever marketing.
—TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
In 1919, a pair of astronomers who were watching an eclipse verified Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity by measuring how the sun distorts the light from other stars.
—Yaakov Zinberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
Ketamine has a variety of effects on the body including hallucinations, distorting perceptions of sight and sound, and making the person feel disconnected from their body and environment, the DEA says.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
The use of words like 'occupation' to describe an indigenous Jewish people defending a homeland that dates back thousands of years, and has been recognized as a state by the United Nations, distorts history.
—Staff Author, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024
Last month, on a visit to a solar panel factory in Georgia, Yellen said China’s excess capacity was distorting prices and production patterns and hurting American firms and workers.
—Laura He, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
The computer program is just adding more information in an effort to make the image sharper, which can often distort what’s really there.
—Matt Novak / Gizmodo, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024
Their scarcity hints that preservation bias distorts archaeologists’ view of the past: Stone tools persist over the millennia, whereas wood typically decays.
—Byandrew Curry, science.org, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'distort.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near distort
Cite this Entry
“Distort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distort. Accessed 23 Apr. 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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