twist

Collocations

32

1

(noun.) act of twisting sth

ADJ

little, slight | quick, sharp | wry

VERB + TWIST

give sth

The knob needs another twist before the door will open.

PREP

~ of

She opened the jar with a sharp twist of her wrist.

~ to

He gave an unexpected twist to the old recipe by adding spices from his grandmother's country.

2

(noun.) change/development

ADJ

further, new

final, latest

The final twist in the movie left everyone in the theater completely shocked.

bizarre, curious, dramatic, interesting, ironic, strange, unexpected | distinctive

cruel, vicious

Life took a vicious twist when she discovered the truth about her business partner.

plot

VERB + TWIST

give sth

The chef gave the traditional recipe a modern twist by adding unexpected spices.

take

The murder investigation took an unexpected twist when the detective found a hidden letter.

PREP

in a ~, with a ~

She served traditional spaghetti in a twist by adding peanut sauce instead.

~ in

The road had an unexpected twist in it that made the drive more difficult.

~ to

The job interview took an unexpected twist to my career plans when they offered me a completely different position.

PHRASES

a twist in the tail

The movie seemed predictable until the final scene revealed a twist in the tail that shocked everyone.

a twist of fate, twists and turns

Life took an unexpected twist of fate when she met her best friend by accident at the airport.

3

(noun.) in a road, river, etc.

ADJ

sharp

PREP

~ in

The path took an unexpected twist in the forest, making it hard to find our way back.

PHRASES

twists and turns

The detective followed the twists and turns of the investigation before finally solving the case.

4

(verb.)

ADV

slightly

He slightly twisted his ankle while running down the stairs yesterday.

gently

She gently twisted the lid until the jar opened.

violently

The injured player twisted violently after falling awkwardly on the basketball court.

bitterly, scornfully, wryly

She twisted her lips scornfully when he tried to explain his excuse.

away, off, together, up

He twisted the wet towel off after taking it out of the washing machine.

PREP

around/round

She twisted the rope around the tree branch to secure the swing.

with

Her hands twisted with anxiety as she waited for the exam results.

PHRASES

twist and turn

The path twisted and turned through the dark forest before finally opening into a clearing.

twist (yourself) free

The child twisted free from her mother's grip and ran toward the playground.

twist sth out of shape

The strong wind twisted the metal fence out of shape during the storm.

Definitions

noun

1

A twisting force.

2

Anything twisted, or the act of twisting.

Peter was always proud afterwards when he remembered that, with the Bargee's furious fingers tightening on his ear, the Bargee's crimson countenance close to his own, the Bargee's hot breath on his neck, he had the courage to speak the truth. "I wasn't catching fish," said Peter. "That's not your fault, I'll be bound," said the man, giving Peter's ear a twist—not a hard one—but still a twist.

Not the least turn or twist in the fibres of any one animal which does not render them more proper for that particular animal's way of life than any other cast or texture.

3

The form given in twisting.

Habakkuk brought him a ſmooth, ſtrong, tough Rope, made of many a ply of vvholeſome Scandinavian Hemp, compactly tvviſted together, vvith a Nooſe that ſlip'd as glib as a Bird-catcher's Gin. Jack ſhrunk and grevv pale at firſt ſight of it, he handled it, meaſur'd it, ſtretch'd it, fix'd it againſt the Iron-bar of the VVindovv to try its ſtrength, but not Familiarity could reconcile him to it. He found fault vvith the length, the thickneſs, and the tvviſt, nay, the very colour did not pleaſe him.

4

The degree of stress or strain when twisted.

5

A type of thread made from two filaments twisted together.

the thrid By griesly Lachesis was spun with paine, That cruell Atropos eftsoones vndid, With cursed knife cutting the twist in twaine […]

I was one morning walking arm in arm with him in St James's Park, his dress then being […] waistcoat and breeches of the same blue satin, trimmed with silver twist à la hussarde, and ermine edges.

verb

1

To turn the ends of something, usually thread, rope etc., in opposite directions, often using force.

2

To join together by twining one part around another.

"Well, one day I went up in a balloon and the ropes got twisted, so that I couldn't come down again. It went way up above the clouds, so far that a current of air struck it and carried it many, many miles away. For a day and a night I traveled through the air, and on the morning of the second day I awoke and found the balloon floating over a strange and beautiful country."

3

To contort; to writhe; to complicate; to crook spirally; to convolve.

June 8, 1714, Alexander Pope, letter to Jonathan Swift twisting it into a serpentine form.

4

To wreathe; to wind; to encircle; to unite by intertexture of parts.

longing to twist bays with that ivy

There are pillars of smoke twisted about wreaths of flame.

5

To wind into; to insinuate.

Avarice twists itself into all human concerns.

name

1

A surname.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — any clever maneuver

noun — the act of rotating rapidly

spin
twirl
twisting
whirl

noun — turning or twisting around (in place)

turn

noun — the act of winding or twisting

noun — a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair

noun — an interpretation of a text or action

construction

noun — a jerky pulling movement

wrench

noun — an unforeseen development

turn

noun — a miniature whirlpool or whirlwind resulting when the curren

eddy

noun — a circular segment of a curve

noun — a sharp bend in a line produced when a line having a loop is

noun — a sharp strain on muscles or ligaments

verb — twist suddenly so as to sprain

verb — practice sophistry

verb — form into a spiral shape

verb — cause (a plastic object) to assume a crooked or angular form

verb — twist or pull violently or suddenly, especially so as to rem

wrench

verb — to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when

verb — extend in curves and turns

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

get one's knickers in a twist

To become overwrought or unnecessarily upset over a trivial matter.

Swiss bank gets knickers in a twist over dress code guidelines [title]

twist of fate

An unfortunate, often ironic turn of events.

twist in the wind

To be unassisted and without comfort in a situation likely to result in distress or failure.

There seemed to be a shared perception of Colonel North as a good and honorable serviceman who had been left to twist in the wind, the scapegoat of an operation gone awry.

Example Bank

6

01

Peter was always proud afterwards when he remembered that, with the Bargee's furious fingers tightening on his ear, the Bargee's crimson countenance close to his own, the Bargee's hot breath on his ne

Wiktionary

02

Not the least turn or twist in the fibres of any one animal which does not render them more proper for that particular animal's way of life than any other cast or texture.

Wiktionary

03

Habakkuk brought him a ſmooth, ſtrong, tough Rope, made of many a ply of vvholeſome Scandinavian Hemp, compactly tvviſted together, vvith a Nooſe that ſlip'd as glib as a Bird-catcher's Gin. Jack ſhru

Wiktionary

04

"Well, one day I went up in a balloon and the ropes got twisted, so that I couldn't come down again. It went way up above the clouds, so far that a current of air struck it and carried it many, many m

Wiktionary

05

June 8, 1714, Alexander Pope, letter to Jonathan Swift twisting it into a serpentine form.

Wiktionary

06

longing to twist bays with that ivy

Wiktionary

Collocations

(noun.) act of twisting sth

(noun.) change/development

(noun.) in a road, river, etc.

(verb.)

Definitions

Thesaurus

Synonyms

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

get one's knickers in a twist

twist of fate

twist in the wind

Example Bank

Usage Notes

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