distort

Everyday

1. To change the shape of something so it looks twisted or wrong, as in a fun-house mirror that distorts your face. tree →
2. To change facts or words so they give a false idea, as in «distort the truth». tree →
3. To change a sound so it is unclear or crackly. tree →

In the lessons

In science, lenses and water can distort light so things look bent, like a straw in a glass. In media and news lessons, «distorting facts» is a warning about propaganda and fake news. In music, guitars use «distortion» on purpose. In maths, map projections distort the size of countries near the poles.

Examples

• The curved mirror distorted my face. tree →
• The newspaper distorted what the mayor said. tree →
• Water distorts the look of a pencil in a glass. tree →
• The speaker was too loud and distorted the music. tree →
• Maps distort the size of Greenland. tree →
• Don't distort the facts to win an argument. tree →
• As she looked across the sea, all there grew darker; a heavy mist came rolling onwards, and clung to bush and tree, distorting them into fantastic shapes. tree →

Note

Regular verb. Noun «distortion». Related idea: «exaggerate» makes something bigger; «distort» bends it into a wrong shape.