twist

/twɪst/

/twɪst/

Other forms: twisted; twisting; twists

When you twist something, you turn it in a different direction. You might twist off a bottle cap, or you might even twist the plot of a story you are writing.

A kite's tail twists in the wind, curling around itself, and a baker twists a piece of dough into a pretzel shape. You can also twist out of someone's grasp (to escape your godmother's cheek pinching), or twist your ankle hurrying away. As a noun, twist means a bent and curved shape, like the twist of a curl or a twist of soft serve ice cream. In a book or movie plot, a twist is a shocking development.

Definitions of twist

1. verb

   cause (a plastic object) to assume a crooked or angular form
   “twist the dough into a braid”

   synonyms: bend, deform, flex, turn

   types:

   dent, indent

   make a depression into

   incurvate

   cause to curve inward

   gnarl

   twist into a state of deformity

   crank

   bend into the shape of a crank

   convolute, convolve

   curl, wind, or twist together

   type of:

   change form, change shape, deform

   assume a different shape or form
2. verb

   form into twists
   “Twist the strips of dough”

   type of:

   form, shape

   give shape or form to
3. verb

   twist or pull violently or suddenly, especially so as to remove (something) from that to which it is attached or from where it originates
   synonyms: wrench

   type of:

   pull

   apply force so as to cause motion towards the source of the motion
4. verb

   to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling)
   synonyms: squirm, worm, wrestle, wriggle, writhe

   types:

   wrench

   make a sudden twisting motion

   type of:

   move

   move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion
5. verb

   extend in curves and turns
   “the path twisted through the forest”

   synonyms: curve, wind

   types:

   circumvolute

   wind or turn in volutions, especially in an inward spiral, as of snail

   spiral

   form a spiral

   snake

   form a snake-like pattern

   type of:

   be

   have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
6. verb

   form into a spiral shape
   “The cord is all twisted”

   synonyms: distort, twine

   antonyms:

   untwist

   cause to become untwisted

   types:

   wrench, wring

   twist and compress, as if in pain or anguish

   contort, deform, distort, wring

   twist and press out of shape

   entangle, mat, snarl, tangle

   twist together or entwine into a confusing mass

   enlace, entwine, interlace, intertwine, lace, twine

   spin,wind, or twist together

   spin

   work natural fibers into a thread

   interweave, weave

   interlace by or as if by weaving

   morph

   change shape as via computer animation

   plait

   weave into plaits

   felt

   mat together and make felt-like

   enmesh, ensnarl, mesh

   entangle or catch in (or as if in) a mesh

   wind, wreathe

   form into a wreath

   wattle

   interlace to form wattle

   inweave

   weave together into a fabric or design

   raddle, ruddle

   twist or braid together, interlace

   plash, pleach

   interlace the shoots of

   shoot

   variegate by interweaving weft threads of different colors

   tinsel

   interweave with tinsel

   braid, pleach

   form or weave into a braid or braids

   knot, ravel, tangle

   tangle or complicate

   splice

   join by interweaving strands

   type of:

   change form, change shape, deform

   assume a different shape or form
7. verb

   turn in the opposite direction
   “twist one's head”

   types:

   crick

   twist (a body part) into a strained position

   quirk

   twist or curve abruptly

   curl, wave

   twist or roll into coils or ringlets

   crape, crimp, frizz, frizzle, kink, kink up

   curl tightly

   type of:

   turn

   change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
8. verb

   twist suddenly so as to sprain
   “The wrestler twisted his shoulder”

   synonyms: rick, sprain, turn, wrench, wrick

   type of:

   injure, wound

   cause injuries or bodily harm to
9. noun

   the act of winding or twisting
   synonyms: wind, winding

   type of:

   rotary motion, rotation

   the act of rotating as if on an axis
10. noun

    turning or twisting around (in place)
    “with a quick twist of his head he surveyed the room”

    synonyms: turn

    types:

    twiddle

    a series of small (usually idle) twists or turns

    type of:

    rotary motion, rotation

    the act of rotating as if on an axis
11. noun

    a sharp bend in a line produced when a line having a loop is pulled tight
    synonyms: kink, twirl

    type of:

    bend, crease, crimp, flexure, fold, plication

    an angular or rounded shape made by folding
12. noun

    a circular segment of a curve
    synonyms: bend, crook, turn

    types:

    bight

    a bend or curve (especially in a coastline)

    type of:

    curve, curved shape

    the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes
13. noun

    the act of rotating rapidly
    synonyms: spin, twirl, twisting, whirl

    types:

    pirouette

    (ballet) a rapid spin of the body (especially on the toes as in ballet)

    birling, logrolling

    rotating a log rapidly in the water (as a competitive sport)

    type of:

    rotary motion, rotation

    the act of rotating as if on an axis
14. noun

    a miniature whirlpool or whirlwind resulting when the current of a fluid doubles back on itself
    synonyms: eddy

    type of:

    current, stream

    a steady flow of a fluid (usually from natural causes)
15. noun

    a sharp strain on muscles or ligaments
    synonyms: pull, wrench

    types:

    sprain

    a painful injury to a joint caused by a sudden wrenching of its ligaments

    type of:

    harm, hurt, injury, trauma

    any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
16. noun

    a jerky pulling movement
    synonyms: wrench

    type of:

    motion, movement

    a natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something
17. noun

    a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair
    synonyms: braid, plait, tress

    types:

    queue

    a braid of hair at the back of the head

    pigtail

    a plait of braided hair

    type of:

    coif, coiffure, hair style, hairdo, hairstyle

    the arrangement of the hair (especially a woman's hair)
18. noun

    social dancing in which couples vigorously twist their hips and arms in time to the music; was popular in the 1960s
    “they liked to dance the twist”

    type of:

    social dancing

    dancing as part of a social occasion
19. verb

    do the twist
    type of:

    dance, trip the light fantastic, trip the light fantastic toe

    move in a pattern; usually to musical accompaniment; do or perform a dance
20. verb

    practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive
    “Don't twist my words”

    synonyms: convolute, pervert, sophisticate, twist around

    type of:

    denote, refer

    have as a meaning
21. noun

    an unforeseen development
    synonyms: turn, turn of events

    type of:

    development

    a recent event that has some relevance for the present situation
22. noun

    an interpretation of a text or action
    synonyms: construction

    type of:

    interpretation

    an explanation that results from interpreting something
23. noun

    any clever maneuver
    synonyms: device, gimmick

    types:

    mnemonic

    a device (such as a rhyme or acronym) used to aid recall

    fast one, trick

    a cunning or deceitful action or device

    schtick, schtik, shtick, shtik

    (Yiddish) a devious trick; a bit of cheating

    type of:

    maneuver, manoeuvre, tactical maneuver, tactical manoeuvre

    a move made to gain a tactical end