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
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 Illusion Of Abundance In A Skewed Market This shift has profoundly distorted the venture deal landscape.
—
Joseph Edgar, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
In the new court filing, phone records show Mortensen tried calling the other four roommates – but got no response – around the time when security camera from a residence close to the home picked up at 4:17 a.m. distorted audio of voices, a whimper, followed by a loud thud, and a barking dog.
—Lauren Del Valle, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
The political fireworks ramped up recently with allegations by Taylor accusing Cunningham of distorting her fiscal record the past four years.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
Tariffs may also distort the reliability benefits from having more dispatchable generation resources across both countries available to quickly adjust production to ensure that supply equals demand at every instant.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distort
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Joseph Edgar, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
In the new court filing, phone records show Mortensen tried calling the other four roommates – but got no response – around the time when security camera from a residence close to the home picked up at 4:17 a.m. distorted audio of voices, a whimper, followed by a loud thud, and a barking dog.
—Lauren Del Valle, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
The political fireworks ramped up recently with allegations by Taylor accusing Cunningham of distorting her fiscal record the past four years.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
Tariffs may also distort the reliability benefits from having more dispatchable generation resources across both countries available to quickly adjust production to ensure that supply equals demand at every instant.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for distort
Cite this Entry
“Distort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distort. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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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