The definition for distortion is "The act of twisting out of shape." Used in a sentence: The story about the actress in the gossip column was a distortion of the truth.

The definition for ethical is "Conforming to accepted standards." Used in a sentence: Mary did the ethical thing and turned in the diamond necklace she found.

The definition for gruff is "Rough or stern in manner or speech." Used in a sentence: Heidi's grandfather was gruff, barking stern orders and hardly smiling.

The definition for prune is "To reduce by removing excess." Used in a sentence: The candidate pruned his speech so he would not exceed the time limit.

The definition for straddle is "To favor opposing sides." Used in a sentence: Kia straddled the issue, not wanting to say whether James or Tara was right.