twist

[ twist ]

/ twɪst /

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See synonyms for: twist / twisted / twisting on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to combine, as two or more strands or threads, by winding together; intertwine.

to form by or as if by winding strands together: Several fibers were used to twist the rope.

to entwine (one thing) with another; interlace (something) with something else; interweave; plait.

to wind or coil (something) about something else; encircle; entwine; wreathe.

to alter in shape, as by turning the ends in opposite directions, so that parts previously in the same straight line and plane are located in a spiral curve: The sculptor twisted the form into an arabesque. He twisted his body around to look behind him.

to turn sharply or wrench out of place; sprain: He twisted his ankle.

to pull, tear, or break off by turning forcibly: He twisted the arm off the puppet.

to distort (the features) by tensing or contracting the facial muscles; contort: She twisted her face in a wry smile.

to distort the meaning or form of; pervert: He twisted my comment about to suit his own purpose.

to cause to become mentally or emotionally distorted; warp: The loss of his business twisted his whole outlook on life.

to form into a coil, knot, or the like by winding, rolling, etc.: to twist the hair into a knot.

to bend tortuously.

to cause to move with a rotary motion, as a ball pitched in a curve.

to turn (something) from one direction to another, as by rotating or revolving: I twisted my chair to face the window.

to combine or associate intimately.

verb (used without object)

to be or become intertwined.

to wind or twine about something.

to writhe or squirm.

to take a spiral form or course; wind, curve, or bend.

to turn or rotate, as on an axis; revolve, as about something; spin.

to turn so as to face in another direction.

to turn, coil, or bend into a spiral shape.

to change shape under forcible turning or twisting.

to move with a progressive rotary motion, as a ball pitched in a curve.

to dance the twist.

noun

a deviation in direction; curve; bend; turn.

the action of turning or rotating on an axis; rotary motion; spin.

anything formed by or as if by twisting or twining parts together.

the act or process of twining strands together, as in thread, yarn, or rope.

a twisting awry or askew.

distortion or perversion, as of meaning or form.

a peculiar attitude or bias; eccentric turn or bent of mind; eccentricity.

spiral disposition, arrangement, or form.

spiral movement or course.

an irregular bend; crook; kink.

a sudden, unanticipated change of course, as of events.

a treatment, method, idea, version, etc., especially one differing from that which preceded: The screenwriters gave the old plot a new twist.

the changing of the shape of anything by or as by turning the ends in opposite directions.

the stress causing this alteration; torque.

the resulting state.

a twisting or torsional action, force, or stress; torsion.

a strong, twisted silk thread, heavier than ordinary sewing silk, for working buttonholes and for other purposes.

the direction of twisting in weaving yarn; S twist or Z twist.

a loaf or roll of dough twisted and baked.

a strip of citrus peel that has been twisted and placed in a drink to add flavor.

a kind of tobacco manufactured in the form of a rope or thick cord.

a dance performed by couples and characterized by strongly rhythmic turns and twists of the arms, legs, and torso.

the degree of spiral formed by the grooves in a rifled firearm or cannon.

Gymnastics, Diving. a full rotation of the body about the vertical axis.

a wrench.

OTHER WORDS FOR twist

7 wrench, wrest, yank.

See synonyms for twist on Thesaurus.com

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Idioms about twist

twist one's arm, Informal. to coerce: I didn't want to go, but he twisted my arm.

Origin of twist

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English twisten “to divide,” derivative of twist “divided object, rope” (compare Old English -twist in candel-twist “pair of snuffers”); cognate with Dutch twisten “to quarrel,” German Zwist “a quarrel.” See twi-

synonym study for twist

32. See turn.

OTHER WORDS FROM twist

twist·a·ble, adjectivetwist·a·bil·i·ty [twis-tuh-bil-i-tee], /ˌtwɪs təˈbɪl ɪ ti/, nountwist·ing·ly, adverbo·ver·twist, verb

re·twist, verbun·twist·a·ble, adjective

Words nearby twist

twin-tub, twin-twin transfusion, twirl, twirler, twirp, twist, twist around one's finger, twist drill, twisted, twisted hairs, twisted stomach worm

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use twist in a sentence

It features multiple settings and a strobe function, and the rotating head focuses the flashlight’s beam from tight spotlight to wide flood with a quick twist.
Flashlights for emergency scenarios and outdoor fun|PopSci Commerce Team|August 27, 2020|Popular-Science
Amazon’s health efforts took a new twist, as the e-commerce giant on Thursday announced an app-based health advice service for consumers—called Halo—that requires its own activity tracking band.
Amazon jumps into smart wearables market with Halo activity tracking band|Aaron Pressman|August 27, 2020|Fortune
Expect plenty more twists, turns and threats in the run-up to the November election, when rideshare companies hope California voters will let them officially opt out of following the new labor law.
VOSD Podcast: Pumping the Brakes on Rideshare Companies’ Dramatic Exit|Nate John|August 21, 2020|Voice of San Diego
Here’s what global publishers need to know about the latest regulatory twists and turns down under between Google and the news business.
Explained: Google’s tussle in Australia over paying publishers for news|Lara O'Reilly|August 19, 2020|Digiday

In each iteration we tried to add a visual twist to the design.
How We Designed The Look Of Our 2020 Forecast|Anna Wiederkehr (anna.wiederkehr@abc.com)|August 13, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
These were conversations that took a fairly grim twist pretty quickly.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But there is a big twist in this story that has left both Grace Castro and Lozoya frustrated and grasping for more answers.
An Informant, a Missing American, and Juarez’s House of Death: Inside the 12-Year Cold Case of David Castro|Bill Conroy|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In a dramatic twist on mistletoe reproduction, their seeds explode, literally.
Mistletoe is the Vampire of Plants|Helen Thompson|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Torture, the UVa rape, police violence—we hunger for the facts, and then twist them.
On Torture, Chuck Johnson & Sondheim|James Poulos|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In a bizarre twist to proceedings, Miss Manners sought to have her £30 cab fare from her Kensington flat to court refunded.
How A British Aristocrat Used Big Game Hunter’s Sperm To Get Pregnant Without His Permission|Tom Sykes|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Having wound these about the waist, they twist them so that they cover the privy parts.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Bending lower over the handlebars, he opened the throttle with a twist of his left hand.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run|Stanley R. Matthews
A twist, a sudden jerk, and it was Black Hood who had the signal device now.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
Jack caught a starling which was in the act of wriggling out of his coat pocket, and gave it a final twist.
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands|R.M. Ballantyne
Then small bullion tassels to match the twist will form a suitable and elegant finish.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley

British Dictionary definitions for twist

twist

/ (twɪst) /

verb

to cause (one end or part) to turn or (of one end or part) to turn in the opposite direction from another; coil or spin

to distort or be distorted; change in shape

to wind or cause to wind; twine, coil, or intertwineto twist flowers into a wreath

to force or be forced out of the natural form or positionto twist one's ankle

(usually passive) to change or cause to change for the worse in character, meaning, etc; perverthis ideas are twisted; she twisted the statement

to revolve or cause to revolve; rotate

(tr) to wrench with a turning actionto twist something from someone's grasp

(intr) to follow a winding course

(intr) to squirm, as with pain

(intr) to dance the twist

(tr) British informal to cheat; swindle

twist someone's arm to persuade or coerce someone

noun

the act or an instance of twisting

something formed by or as if by twistinga twist of hair

a decisive change of direction, aim, meaning, or character

(in a novel, play, etc) an unexpected event, revelation, or other development

a benda twist in the road

a distortion of the original or natural shape or form

a jerky pull, wrench, or turn

a strange personal characteristic, esp a bad one

a confused mess, tangle, or knot made by twisting

a twisted thread used in sewing where extra strength is needed

(in weaving) a specified direction of twisting the yarn

the twist a modern dance popular in the 1960s, in which couples vigorously twist the hips in time to rhythmic music

a bread loaf or roll made of one or more pieces of twisted dough

a thin sliver of peel from a lemon, lime, etc, twisted and added to a drink

a cigar made by twisting three cigars around one another
chewing tobacco made in the form of a roll by twisting the leaves together

physics torsional deformation or shear stress or strain

sport, mainly US and Canadian spin given to a ball in various games, esp baseball

the extent to which the grooves in the bore of a rifled firearm are spiralled

round the twist British slang mad; eccentric

Derived forms of twist

twistable, adjectivetwistability, nountwisted, adjectivetwisting, adjective

twisty, adjective

Word Origin for twist

Old English; related to German dialect Zwist a quarrel, Dutch twisten to quarrel

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

twist

OTHER WORDS FOR twist

Idioms about twist

Origin of twist

synonym study for twist

OTHER WORDS FROM twist

Words nearby twist

Words related to twist

How to use twist in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for twist

Derived forms of twist

Word Origin for twist