* Figurative: The artist's contorted figures expressed the raw emotions of the human condition.
* Literal: The contorted metal of the car wreckage told a story of the brutal impact.
* Descriptive: She contorted her face into a grimace, her expression a mix of pain and confusion.
* Metaphorical: His explanation was so contorted that it became impossible to follow his logic.
* Formal: The contortionist's performance was both mesmerizing and unsettling.
Remember that "contorted" usually implies a twisting or bending that is unnatural or extreme, often to the point of distortion.