figurative. To bend or turn out of the straight course, or from the direct meaning or intention; to pervert, ‘twist’. Obsolete.

To corrupt (a text, word, etc.). archaic.

To turn aside (a process, action, text, etc.) from a correct state, course, or aim. transitive. To turn aside (a text, argument, concept, etc.) from…

figurative. To force the meaning or sense of (words, an ordinance, decree, etc.); †to distort the form of (a word). Also absol.

transitive. To assign a particular meaning or intention to (words, a statement, etc.); esp. to distort or misrepresent the meaning of (words)…

transitive. To distort; to pervert; esp. to distort the meaning of (a text).

To wrest, distort.

figurative. To wrest the meaning of; = writhe, v. 9. Obsolete.

to make a Welshman's hose of and variants: to interpret (a word, text, etc.) to suit oneself; to make a nonsense of; to muddle. Obsolete.

figurative. transitive. To strain, distort, or pervert the meaning of (a text, passage, etc.); to twist. Cf. wrench, v. 7, wrest, v. 5 6, wring, v.…

To strain or overstrain the meaning or bearing of (a writing, passage, word, etc.); to deflect or turn from the true or proper signification; to…

transitive. To distort (a text, argument, action, etc.) from the correct meaning or intent; to pervert, misconstrue, or misrepresent. Obsolete.

To wrest or twist (a writing, words, etc.); to strain the purport or meaning of; to deflect, pevert; = wrest, v. 5.

transitive. = deprave, v.

transitive. To strain or twist the meaning of, give a forced interpretation to, (a word, phrase, or passage of writing).

transitive. To distort or corrupt the meaning of (words, a text, etc.).

To twist, alter, or change from the right or true form, application, or import; to wrest, pervert, distort. Cf. wrest, v. 5.

transitive. To stretch the sense of. Obsolete. rare.

transitive. figurative. To twist the meaning of or give a forced interpretation to (a text, communication, etc.); to misinterpret or twist the…

Scottish. transitive. To twist or distort the meaning of. Obsolete.

transitive. To turn aside from the purpose; to twist, wrest, pervert (esp. words or sayings). (Common in 17th cent.)

transitive. To manipulate unfairly. Obsolete.

To twist, pervert. Cf. wrest, v. 5. Obsolete.

figurative. To give a twist or erroneous turn to (the mind, thoughts, views); to pervert or misrepresent (statements, facts).

to put, set, place,etc. on the rack: to stretch (faculties, words, etc.) to the limit; to put (a person) in an extremely difficult or awkward…

To turn (something) about, away, round, etc.; to twist or wring. Now dialect.

transitive. To force or stretch (words, meaning, etc.) by subtle argument, often so as to distort the original intention; to reshape to suit…

transitive. To make monstrous; to distort, pervert.

transitive. To strain or distort (a message, text, etc.), esp. in order alter the meaning; to stretch; to extend the scope of. Obsolete.

To destroy the purity of (a language), the correctness or original form of (a written passage, a word, etc.); to alter (language) for the worse…

transitive. To veil with glosses; to explain away; to read a different sense into. Also with away, over (the latter perhaps influenced by gloss, v.2…

figurative. To ‘twist’ (language, etc.) from the proper or natural meaning or form; to distort, pervert. Also with into.

To put a strained sense upon (words). Also, to force (words) into a sense.

transitive. To insist on putting forward; to press, strain, or urge. Obsolete.

transitive. figurative. To mediate; to alter; to distort.

To distort, wrest, misinterpret, give a false colouring to (a fact, account, etc.). Const. from, to, into.

In non-material sense: Constraint or compulsion exerted upon a person. Also, a force, as to put a force upon: to put compulsion or constraint…

figurative. To wrest the form or meaning of; to pervert; to distort; to force a meaning from.

figurative. transitive. To change the will, disposition, or judgement of (a person); to bend the sense of (words); to adapt, accommodate. rare after…