twist
[verb]
Synonyms:
- wind, coil, curl, screw, spin, swivel, wrap, wring
- distort, contort, screw up
[noun]
Synonyms:
- wind, coil, curl, spin, swivel
- development, change, revelation, slant, surprise, turn, variation
- curve, arc, bend, meander, turn, undulation, zigzag
- distortion, defect, deformation, flaw, imperfection, kink, warp

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Antonyms: untwist

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English Thesaurus: change, alter, adapt, adjust, modify, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

Twist, Oliver
the main character in the book Oliver Twist by Charles dickens

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

I. twist¹ S3 /twɪst/ verb
[Word Family: noun: twist, twister; verb: twist; adjective: twisted]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old English; Origin: twist 'rope']

1. MOVE [intransitive and transitive]
a) to turn a part of your body around or change your position by turning:
He twisted his head slightly, and looked up at her.
twist round/around
She twisted round, so that she could see the dog better.
b) if you twist your mouth or features, you smile in an unpleasant way or look angry, disapproving etc:
His mouth twisted in a humourless smile.

2. BEND [transitive] to bend or turn something, such as wire, hair, or cloth, into a particular shape
twist something into something
She twisted her handkerchief into a knot.
twist something together
Twist the two ends of the wire together.

3. WIND [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to wind something around or through an object
twist something round/around/through etc something
She twisted a silk scarf round her neck.
Ann twisted some daisies through Katherine’s thick brown hair.

4. TURN [transitive] to turn something in a circle using your hand
twist something off (something)
Jack twisted the cap off the bottle.

5. ROAD/RIVER [intransitive] if a road, river etc twists, it changes direction in a series of curves:
The road twisted between spectacular mountains.

6. WORDS [transitive] to change the true or intended meaning of a statement, especially in order to get some advantage for yourself:
He’s always trying to twist my words and make me look bad.

7. twist your ankle/wrist/knee to hurt your wrist etc by pulling or turning it too suddenly while you are moving:
Harriet slipped on the stairs and twisted her ankle.

8. twist and turn
a) if a path, road, stream etc twists and turns, it has a lot of bends in it:
The river twists and turns through the green fields.
b) if a person or animal twists and turns, they make twisting movements

9. twist sb’s arm
a) informal to persuade someone to do something they do not want to do:
No one twisted my arm about coming to see you.
b) to bend someone’s arm upwards behind their back in order to hurt them:
The policeman twisted my arm behind me and arrested me.
⇒ twist/wrap somebody around your little finger at finger¹(8), ⇒ twist the knife (in the wound) at knife¹(3)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. twist² noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: twist, twister; verb: twist; adjective: twisted]

1. an unexpected feature or change in a situation or series of events
a new/cruel/unexpected/strange etc twist
The robbery took a deadly new twist as the robber pulled out a gun.
an unexpected twist in the plot
By an amazing twist of fate, we met again in Madrid five years later.

2. a twisting action or movement:
He smiled, a slow cynical twist of his lips.

3. a bend in a river or road

4. a small piece of something that is twisted into a particular shape
twist of
a twist of lemon

5. the twist a popular fast dance from the 1960s in which you twist your body from side to side

6. round the twist British English spoken
a) crazy:
‘The woman’s mad,’ she told herself. ‘She’s round the twist.’
b) very angry
—twisty adjective:
a twisty road
⇒ (don’t) get your knickers in a twist at knickers(3)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

twist
noun
I. act of twisting sth
ADJ. little, slight | quick, sharp | wry
VERB + TWIST give sth Give the cap another twist?it's not on properly.
PREP. ~ of He finished him off with a quick twist of the knife.
~ to a wry twist to her mouth

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

twist
II. change/development
ADJ. further, new | final, latest the latest twist in the saga of high-level corruption
bizarre, curious, dramatic, interesting, ironic, strange, unexpected | distinctive | cruel, vicious a cruel twist of fate
plot
VERB + TWIST give sth The writer takes well-known fairy tales and gives them an ironic twist.
take The scandal has taken a new twist this week.
PREP. in a ~, with a ~ classic French dishes with a twist (= with a difference) | ~ in a twist in the plot
~ to In a bizarre twist to the evening the police came at eleven and arrested our host.
PHRASES a twist in the tail The story has a twist in the tail?six months later she married the husband of her victim.
a twist of fate, twists and turns the twists and turns in the economy

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

twist
III. in a road, river, etc.
ADJ. sharp
PREP. ~ in a sharp twist in the road
PHRASES twists and turns the twists and turns of the river

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

twist
verb
ADV. slightly She twisted slightly in her chair to look up at him.
gently Gently twist off the green stalks.
violently She fired again and saw the creature twist violently.
bitterly, scornfully, wryly His mouth twisted bitterly.
away, off, together, up Her black her was twisted up into a knot on top of her head.
PREP. around/round I twisted the bandage round his leg.
with His face was twisted with rage.
PHRASES twist and turn The road twists and turns along the coast.
twist (yourself) free He managed to twist himself free.
twist sth out of shape Her mouth was twisted out of shape by grief.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

change to make someone or something different:
Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to change the situation.
Being at college has changed her – she’s much more confident now.
alter especially written tochange something so that it is better or more suitable:
You can alter the colour and size of the image using a remote control.
Can we alter the date of the meeting?
adapt to change something slightly in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How much would it cost to adapt the existing equipment?
You can adapt the recipe to suit your own requirements.
adjust to make small changes in the position or level of something in order to improve it or make it more suitable:
How do you adjust the volume on the television?
He adjusted his tie in the mirror.
modify especially written to make small changes to something such as a piece of equipment, a set of ideas, or a way of behaving in order to improve it or use it in a different way:
He’s modified his opinions since then.
a modified version of the original program.
reform to change a law, system, organization etc so that it is fairer or more effective:
plans to reform the tax system
Health care needs to be completely reformed.
revise to change a plan, idea, law etc because of new information and ideas:
In July, China revised the rules for foreign investment.
The findings could force the scientists to revise their ideas about climate change.
reorganize to change the way that a system or organization works:
We’ve had to reorganize our database
During the 1980s, the government reorganized the civil service.
restructure to make big changes to the way something is organized, especially a large political or economic system or a big company, in order to make it more effective:
The company has been restructured from top to bottom.
transform to change something completely, especially so that it is much better:
Well, you’ve certainly transformed this place – it looks great!
Putin transformed the Russian economy.
revolutionize to completely and permanently change the way people do something or think about something, especially because of a new idea or invention:
Computers have revolutionized the way we work.
This important discovery revolutionized our understanding of the universe.
distort to explain facts, statements etc in a way that makes them seem different from what they really are:
The judge said that she had deliberately tried to distort the facts.
Don’t try to distort the truth.
twist to dishonestly change the meaning of a piece of information or of something that someone has said, in order to get an advantage for yourself or to support your own opinion:
He accused reporters of twisting his words.
In her article she twisted the meaning of what I said.
misrepresent to give people a wrong idea about someone or their opinions, by what you write or say:
I hope I have not misrepresented her opinion.
He’s taking legal action to stop the film, claiming it grossly misrepresents him.
big/major
Going to a new school is a big change for children.
slight/small/minor
The proposed changes were relatively minor.
gradual
There has been a gradual change in the weather.
dramatic/drastic/radical (=very big, especially in way that is surprising)
The Industrial Revolution was a period of dramatic change.
significant
The change in blood pressure was not significant.
marked (=very noticeable)
There was a marked change in his behaviour.
fundamental
Reducing waste requires a fundamental change in attitude.
social/political/economic etc change
Demands for political and social change are growing.
sweeping changes (=affecting many things or people, especially because of an official decision)
There are likely to be sweeping changes in the company.
far-reaching changes (=important and having a great effect that will last a long time)
The Internet has brought about far-reaching changes in the way we work.
make a change
We've had to make some changes to the design.
introduce a change
A number of changes were introduced to the curriculum.
bring (about) change (also effect a change formal) (=cause change)
The war brought about radical social change.
Treatment is aimed at effecting a change in the child’s negative behaviour.
see/notice/observe a change
I saw a big change in her when I met her again.
undergo a change (=be affected by a change)
The body undergoes a number of changes during this time.
signal a change (=be a sign of a change)
Does this move signal a change in US foreign policy?
the pace/rate of change
People sometimes feel alarmed by the pace of technological change.
alteration noun [uncountable and countable] a change, especially a small one that happens naturally or gradually, or one that is made in order to improve something:
I noticed a slight alteration in her behaviour.
They had to make some alterations to their original theory.
shift noun [countable] a change, especially in people’s attitudes or in the way they do things, or in the position of someone or something:
a shift in public opinion about the war
There has been a noticeable shift in government policy on education.
There needs to be a major shift away from road transport to rail transport.
After he died, there was a dramatic shift in the balance of power.
swing a big change, especially in someone’s opinions or moods:
There has been a big swing toward the Democrats (=many more people are supporting them).
The drug can cause mood swings.
fluctuation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in something - used when something changes often:
fluctuations in the value of the dollar
temperature fluctuations
fluctuations in his mood
There has been some fluctuation in productivity levels.
transformation noun [uncountable and countable] a change in which something or someone becomes completely different:
There has been a complete transformation in his attitude since he became a father.
her transformation from shy local girl to famous movie actress
revolution noun [countable] a complete change in ways of thinking or working:
The 1970s saw the beginnings of a new technological revolution.
Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity started a revolution in scientific thinking.
shake-up noun [countable] a situation in which a lot of changes are very quickly made in a system or organization in order to make it more effective:
The department has not performed well and is badly in need of a shake-up.
The Administration is planning a thorough shake-up of the welfare system.
U-turn noun [countable] a complete change in the plans of a government or political party so that it decides to do the opposite of what it originally said it would do:
The government was forced to do a U-turn after angry protests about their taxation policy.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲