twist
twist — verb
1. to turn something using your hand, or to move or wrap something in a circular wa
to turn something using your hand, or to move or wrap something in a circular way around another object, often changing its shape or position.
Adisa twisted the thin wire around the fence post to fix the broken gate.
twist + object + around + object
Sivan twisted her long hair into a tight bun before swimming practice.
twist + hair + into + shape
The narrow path twisted up the rocky hillside behind the old church.
subject + twisted + direction/route (intransitive)
Kian twisted the metal lid off the jar with both hands.
twist + object + off
The baker twisted two pieces of dough together before baking the bread.
twist + together
- twist around
- twist into
- twist together
- twist off
- straighten
to make something straight that was twisted
Grammar Patterns
twist + object + preposition + object
twist + object + adverb
subject + twist + direction/route (intransitive)
Usage Note
Commonly used with prepositions like 'around', 'into', 'off', and 'together' to describe how the object is placed or changed.
Common Mistakes
2. to hurt a joint or muscle by bending or turning it suddenly and awkwardly, causi
to hurt a joint or muscle by bending or turning it suddenly and awkwardly, causing pain or swelling.
Rohan twisted his ankle while running down the stairs at school.
twist + body part (ankle)
Apinya twisted her knee during the first few minutes of the basketball game.
Piotr twisted his wrist when he caught the heavy falling box at work.
common with ankle, knee, wrist, back
Shirin twisted her back while helping her father lift the old wooden sofa.
The doctor warned that Beatrix might twist her shoulder again if she kept swimming.
- twist ankle
- twist knee
- twist wrist
- twist back
Grammar Patterns
twist + body part (ankle/knee/wrist/back)
Usage Note
Most often used with ankle, knee, wrist, and back. This sense describes an accidental injury, not a deliberate movement.
Common Mistakes
3. to say that facts or someone's words mean something different from what they act
to say that facts or someone's words mean something different from what they actually mean, often in order to trick people.
The journalist twisted the facts to make the story sound more dramatic.
twist + the facts
Mauricio accused the newspaper of twisting his words in the interview.
twist + someone's words
Chidi warned his younger sister not to twist the truth about what happened.
Yumi felt angry when the report twisted her comments about the new policy.
twist + someone's comments
- twist the truth
- twist the facts
- twist someone's words
- twist the story
- distort
slightly more formal; can apply to physical shape or information
- misrepresent
more formal; focuses on giving a false account
- bend
informal; 'bend the rules' is a common phrase
- clarify
to make something clearer and more accurate
Grammar Patterns
twist + facts/words/truth/the story
Usage Note
Always negative in meaning — used to describe dishonest communication. Common objects are 'facts', 'words', 'truth', and 'story'.
Common Mistakes
twist off
phrasal verbTo remove something by turning it forcefully, like a lid or cap.
Diego twisted off the bottle cap and took a drink.
Can you twist off the lid of this jar for me?
To intentionally make a bad situation worse for someone who is already upset.
After losing the game, his teammate twisted the knife by laughing at him.
Why did you turn the knife in the wound by mentioning her failed exam?
twist somebody’s arm
idiomTo strongly persuade or force someone to do something they do not want to do.
Maya didn't want to go, but her friends twisted her arm.
Did Brian twist your arm to lend him the money?
To have complete control over someone and make them do whatever you want.
Sara can twist her little brother around her little finger easily.
The toddler has his grandparents wrapped around his little finger.
twist — noun
1. a turning movement made with your hand, wrist, or body, especially one used to o
a turning movement made with your hand, wrist, or body, especially one used to open, close, or change the position of something.
Christopher opened the jam jar with a sharp twist of his wrist.
a twist of + body part
The dancer finished her routine with one final twist of her hips.
A quick twist of the handle released the lock on the old wooden door.
a twist of + object
With one more twist, the mechanic removed the broken light bulb from its socket.
- a twist of the wrist
- a twist of the handle
- sharp twist
- final twist
Grammar Patterns
a + twist + of + body part/object
with a + twist + of + body part
2. an object or part of an object that has been bent, wound, or turned into a coile
an object or part of an object that has been bent, wound, or turned into a coiled or spiral form, such as in wire, rope, or hair.
The child made a twist of wire to hold the garden gate closed.
a twist of + material
Mauricio admired the tight twist of coloured thread on the bracelet.
Each twist in the rope made it stronger than a straight piece of cord.
twist in + object
The artist shaped a metal twist into a small decorative tree for the garden.
- twist of wire
- twist of rope
- tight twist
- twist in the rope
Grammar Patterns
a + twist + of + material
twist + in + object
Usage Note
Often describes the result of twisting — the visible spiral or curl in a material.
3. a place where a road, river, or path changes direction suddenly, forming a curve
a place where a road, river, or path changes direction suddenly, forming a curve or bend.
The driver slowed down as she approached the sharp twist in the mountain road.
sharp twist in the road
There is a dangerous twist near the bottom of the steep mountain pass.
The river takes a sudden twist just before the old stone bridge.
Hikers should be careful at the twist where the path turns sharply to the left.
- sharp twist
- dangerous twist
- twist in the road
- twist in the river
Grammar Patterns
a + twist + in + (road/path/river)
sharp/dangerous + twist
4. a sports move, especially in diving or gymnastics, where the athlete rotates the
a sports move, especially in diving or gymnastics, where the athlete rotates the body sideways while up in the air.
The diver performed a perfect twist before entering the water without a splash.
perform a twist
The gymnastics judge gave high scores for the clean twist in the routine.
Beatrix practised the same twist for months before the national competition.
The young gymnast earned a medal for her clean twist off the balance beam.
- perform a twist
- full twist
- half twist
Grammar Patterns
perform/do + a + twist
Usage Note
Primarily used in competitive diving and gymnastics. May be combined with other moves like flips or somersaults.
5. an unexpected development that changes how a story, real event, or situation pro
an unexpected development that changes how a story, real event, or situation proceeds, often catching people by surprise.
The novel has a surprising twist at the end of the very last chapter.
a surprising twist
Nobody in the audience expected the twist in the second half of the film.
The game took an unexpected twist when the underdog team scored the winning goal.
took an unexpected twist
Readers love the twist that reveals the true identity of the main character.
- plot twist
- unexpected twist
- surprising twist
- twist ending
- surprise
more general; a twist is a specific kind of surprising development
- turn of events
a phrase that describes a change in a situation, often less dramatic
- revelation
focuses on new information being revealed, often as part of a twist
Grammar Patterns
a + unexpected/surprising + twist
twist + in + (story/plot/film)
take + a + twist
Usage Note
Very common in discussions of fiction (novels, films, TV shows). Also used for real-life events that take a surprising direction.
Common Mistakes
6. an unexpected development that makes a situation more difficult or complicated t
an unexpected development that makes a situation more difficult or complicated than it already was.
The legal case took another twist when a new witness came forward.
took another twist
The negotiation had a strange twist that surprised both sides of the table.
The investigation took a new twist when the detective found the hidden letter.
There was an unexpected twist in the plan that nobody could have predicted.
- take a twist
- new twist
- another twist
- strange twist
- complication
focuses on difficulty; a twist adds surprise as well
- turn
less dramatic; 'turn of events' is a neutral phrase
Grammar Patterns
take + a + twist
another + twist
Usage Note
Very similar to sense 5 (PLOT TWIST), but used for real-life complex situations rather than stories. Often describes legal cases, investigations, or negotiations.
7. a dance that was a craze in the 1960s, performed by twisting the hips and torso
a dance that was a craze in the 1960s, performed by twisting the hips and torso vigorously back and forth to upbeat music without moving the feet much.
My grandmother taught me how to do the twist at her birthday party.
do the twist
Everyone at the party was dancing the twist to the old vinyl records.
The twist became a popular dance all over the world during the nineteen sixties.
The twist was the first dance my father learned when he was a teenager.
- do the twist
- dance the twist
- the twist
Grammar Patterns
do/dance + the + twist
Usage Note
Always used with 'the' — 'the twist' names a specific dance, not a general movement.
Common Mistakes
8. a hairstyle created by dividing hair into sections and twisting each section aro
a hairstyle created by dividing hair into sections and twisting each section around itself to form small rope-like coils.
Adisa spent two hours making perfect twists in her sister's thick hair.
make twists in hair
The hair salon offers several types of twists for different hair lengths.
Shirin learned how to do flat twists by watching tutorial videos online.
Chidi got her twists done at the salon before the family wedding ceremony.
- make twists
- flat twists
- two-strand twists
- twist hairstyle
- braid
different technique; involves crossing three or more strands instead of twisting two
Grammar Patterns
twists (plural) as a hairstyle
make/do + twists
Usage Note
Often used in the plural ('twists') when describing the hairstyle itself. 'Flat twists' and 'two-strand twists' are common variations.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/5
A 'twist' (noun/5) is a sudden, unexpected change that subverts what the audience or participants expected — common in fiction ('plot twist') and real events ('a twist of fate'). A 'turn' is broader and less dramatic: any change in direction or situation ('an unfortunate turn of events'). 'Surprise' focuses on the emotional reaction rather than the structural change in the narrative. 'Development' is a neutral term for any new event, not necessarily unexpected. 'Revelation' emphasises new information that changes understanding — often a key component of a twist, but a twist can also involve a change in action, not just information. For example: 'The detective's revelation explained the mystery' focuses on the information, whereas 'The mystery took a twist when the suspect escaped' focuses on the unexpected turn in events.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'twist' comes from Old English 'twist', which meant a rope or cord — something made by winding strands together. This noun goes back to a Proto-Germanic root *twist-, related to *twi- meaning 'two' (since twisted cord is made of two strands). The verb meaning 'to turn or wind' developed by the 1300s, and by the 1500s it was used figuratively for distorting meaning. The sense of 'a surprising development in a story' appeared in the 1920s, and 'the Twist' dance became popular worldwide in the early 1960s.