distort

/dɪsˈtɔːt/verb

To twist something out of its normal shape, or to change facts so they are no longer accurate.

Example sentence

“The funhouse mirror distorted her reflection into something comical.”

Both physical and figurative: mirrors distort faces, headlines distort facts. 'Distorted' audio is a standard technical complaint.

Related words

distraughtSo upset, worried, or unhappy that it is hard to think clearly.distinctEasy to see, hear, or notice clearly; also, clearly different from something else.distressStrong pain, worry, or suffering of the body or mind, often sudden and severe.dissonanceAn unpleasant clash of sounds that do not blend well together.divergeTo split apart and head in different directions, or to become increasingly different.dissipateTo scatter and gradually disappear, or to cause something to fade away.