What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
garbling
Example
The phone line was garbled, and I couldn't understand what the person was saying. [garbled: adjective]
Example
The message was garbled, and it took me a while to figure out what they meant. [garbled: verb]
distort
Example
The mirror distorted my reflection, making me look shorter and wider than I actually am. [distorted: verb]
Example
The media often distorts the truth to fit their own agenda. [distorts: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Distort is more commonly used than garble in everyday language. Distort is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while garble is less common and refers to a specific type of confusion or jumbling of information.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between garbling and distort?
Both garbling and distorting are formal words that are typically used in academic or professional contexts, such as journalism, research, or legal writing.
