transmogrify

Definition of transmogrifynext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word transmogrify different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of transmogrify are convert, metamorphose, transfigure, transform, and transmute. While all these words mean "to change a thing into a different thing," transmogrify suggests a strange or preposterous metamorphosis.

a story in which a frog is transmogrified into a prince

When is convert a more appropriate choice than transmogrify?

While the synonyms convert and transmogrify are close in meaning, convert implies a change fitting something for a new or different use or function.

converted the study into a nursery

When is it sensible to use metamorphose instead of transmogrify?

The meanings of metamorphose and transmogrify largely overlap; however, metamorphose suggests an abrupt or startling change induced by or as if by magic or a supernatural power.

awkward girls metamorphosed into graceful ballerinas

In what contexts can transfigure take the place of transmogrify?

The synonyms transfigure and transmogrify are sometimes interchangeable, but transfigure implies a change that exalts or glorifies.

joy transfigured her face

When can transform be used instead of transmogrify?

While in some cases nearly identical to transmogrify, transform implies a major change in form, nature, or function.

transformed a small company into a corporate giant

When might transmute be a better fit than transmogrify?

In some situations, the words transmute and transmogrify are roughly equivalent. However, transmute implies transforming into a higher element or thing.

attempted to transmute lead into gold

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of transmogrify In that freedom, hip-hop music transmogrified from songs to studies. Keith Nelson, Men's Health, 12 Apr. 2023 Or change its identity or transmogrify into a different social function of a space. Erik Morse, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2023 In the 1980s and 1990s this transmogrified into an attack on science. Naomi Oreskes, Scientific American, 1 July 2020 For those looking to dig deeper, here are the best books that deconstruct, analyze, and even transmogrify the star known as Marilyn Monroe. Nathan Smith, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2022 For most basketball fans, that joy will transmogrify into disappointment, sadness or even fleeting anger once their favorite team is eliminated. Paul Eisenberg, chicagotribune.com, 21 Mar. 2021 After 40 years of getting worked over, Mercury would be transmogrified, or almost magically altered, and totally kaput. Adam Hadhazy, Popular Mechanics, 7 Mar. 2023 During the negotiations between Obama and Raúl, there was still the idea that somehow parts of the revolution—its socialist project—could be saved, and that Cuba could somehow transmogrify into a fairer, more modern place with a social cradle. Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025 Unlike conventional corn syrup, a form of glucose derived from starch that has been around for over 200 years, high fructose corn syrup wasn’t developed until after World War II, when scientists in Japan began tinkering with the grain, hoping to transmogrify this staple into new products. Stephen Mihm, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transmogrify
Verb
  • Diversity and reinvention Just as American culture is continuously mutating, American music is constantly being reinvented.
    Ted Olson, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
  • Virus strains may also mutate to spread less efficiently or become less deadly, meaning this outbreak may ultimately pose little threat to human health.
    Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • When oil wells are shut in, the pressure underground can become imbalanced, deforming the underlying structure.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 24 June 2026
  • Some cells were mechanically deformed to simulate incidents such as minor parking impacts.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Chris Brown was found liable by a Los Angeles jury on Tuesday for $13 million in the gruesome case of a dog that mauled and disfigured his housekeeper at his home in 2020.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 1 July 2026
  • The Yellow Death has disfigured the population, and soldiers in white-and-red tunics serve the savage Duke of Tviot.
    Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
Verb
  • Inspired by true events, the film captures the spirit of an era defined by big dreams, bigger risks, unforgettable music, and the women who helped redefine collegiate athletics.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 6 July 2026
  • Together, these efforts are redefining resilience, not as leaving the ocean behind, but as restoring it while building enduring livelihoods.
    ABC News, ABC News, 6 July 2026
Verb
  • Slow-motion replays and still images distort the offending player’s actions, with innocuous tackles looking more serious.
    Tom Bogert, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • Any whack job with a phone can distort reality, and that’s not helpful.
    David Frum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Diana wore the pieces prolifically during her life, and even notably had the necklace refashioned into a headdress.
    Freya Drohan, InStyle, 26 June 2026
  • From there, Chiro takes them apart, refashioning them in a manner that feels authentic and stylish.
    Diana Tsui, Footwear News, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • And Harleys has entirely redesigned the rear -suspension and increased its travel 117 per cent to five inches (13 cm).
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 July 2026
  • The design simplifies manufacturing and allows future upgrades without redesigning the entire platform.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026
Verb
  • The Office of Science and Technology Policy had been placed in charge of revising the rules on this research by the end of last summer and implementing a national strategy for tracking all gain-of-function research before the end of last year.
    Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
  • This 12-jurist body oversees the activities of Iran’s parliament, determining if laws passed are compatible with sharia and can demand that legislation be revised.
    Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Transmogrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transmogrify. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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