Twist

/twɪst/

Meaning & Definition

noun

An act of twisting or the state of being twisted.

The twist in the story surprised everyone.

A unexpected change in a situation, especially one that is dramatic or surprising.

The plot took a surprising twist at the end.

A curl or spiral.

She wore her hair in a twist for the party.

verb

To turn or bend in the shape of a spiral or curve.

She had to twist the cap off the bottle.

To change the direction of; to turn aside.

He had to twist the steering wheel to avoid the obstacle.

To distort or misrepresent the facts.

The reporter twisted the story to make it more sensational.

Middle English twisten, from Old English twistian 'to twist, turn, wind around'.

twist of fate

A surprising turn of events that is often unexpected.

give something a twist

To change or add something to a situation or idea.

twist someone's arm

To persuade someone to do something they are reluctant to do.

twisted

Made into a spiral or distorted shape.

twisting

The action or process of turning something in a spiral or rotational movement.

twistable

Capable of being twisted.

A surprising or unexpected variation of something

That movie had a real twist at the end!

To manipulate a situation for one's own benefit

He's good at twisting things in his favor during negotiations.