tortured phrase

Meanings

1. A nonsensical phrase created by replacing words with synonyms in order to disguise plagiarism, typically as a result of "text spinning"
2. [2026 February 18, Cabanac, Guillaume (quotation), “Correction to a retraction highlights tortured phrases have been around longer than LLMs”, in Retraction Watch
3. [2026 February 18, Cabanac, Guillaume (quotation), “Correction to a retraction highlights tortured phrases have been around longer than LLMs”, in Retraction Watch: ‘Tortured phrases are produced by ‘text spinners’: online websites running a basic algorithm that replaces some words with synonyms, using a thesaurus.’]
4. ‘Tortured phrases are produced by ‘text spinners’: online websites running a basic algorithm that replaces some words with synonyms, using a thesaurus.’]
5. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see tortured, phrase.

Etymology

Coined in a 2021 paper by Cabanac et al. (see first quotation).