# twist

/ˈtwɪst/ (US) · /twˈɪst/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/twist
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to turn or rotate

verb · CEFR A2

to turn something around or to wind two things together.

For teachers: to rotate an object around its axis or to entwine multiple strands into a single cord.

- You need to twist the cap to open the bottle of soda.
- The artisan carefully twisted the copper wires together to create a sturdy base for the sculpture.

Usage: Often used with 'together' when joining two items.

### 2. to injure

verb · CEFR B1

to hurt a part of your body by turning it the wrong way suddenly.

For teachers: to injure a joint or ligament by a sudden, forceful rotation.

- I twisted my ankle while I was running in the park yesterday.
- He twisted his knee during the final minutes of the match, forcing the coach to call for a substitution.

### 3. to change meaning

verb · CEFR B2

to change what someone said to make it mean something different.

For teachers: to distort or misinterpret a statement or fact, often to suit one's own purposes.

- Don't twist my words; I never said I wanted to quit the job.
- The politician was accused of twisting the statistics to make the economic situation appear better than it actually was.

### 4. a story change

noun · CEFR B1

an unexpected change in a story or situation.

For teachers: an unexpected development or turn of events in a narrative or situation.

- The movie has a big twist at the end that nobody expected.
- The novel's final twist recontextualises the entire plot, revealing that the narrator had been lying from the start.

### 5. a bend

noun · CEFR B1

a curve or turn in a road or path.

For teachers: a physical bend or curve in a linear object or route.

- The road has many twists and turns as it goes up the mountain.
- The path followed the twists of the river, leading the hikers through a series of narrow canyons.

### 6. slang for a woman

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang · Archaic · British English

an old-fashioned and informal word for a girl or woman.

For teachers: a slang term for a woman or girl, now largely obsolete or restricted to specific dialects.

- In the old movie, the character referred to his girlfriend as a 'pretty twist'.
- The author used period-accurate slang, having the protagonist describe the mysterious newcomer as a 'sharp-looking twist'.

Teaching tip: This sense is archaic and mostly found in mid-20th-century literature or film noir; learners should avoid using it in modern conversation.

## Examples

- The movie has a huge twist at the very end.
- The chef serves a modern twist on the classic apple pie by adding salted caramel and rosemary.
- While the protagonist's identity remains hidden for most of the novel, the final twist forces the reader to re-evaluate every previous interaction through a completely different lens.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.