twist1 verbtwist2 noun
twisttwist1 /twɪst/ ●●○ S3 verb 
WORD ORIGINtwist1
Origin:
1300-1400 Old English twist ‘rope’VERB TABLE
twist
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | twist |
| he, she, it | twists | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | twisted |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have twisted |
| he, she, it | has twisted | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had twisted |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will twist |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have twisted |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am twisting |
| he, she, it | is twisting | |
| you, we, they | are twisting | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was twisting |
| you, we, they | were twisting | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been twisting |
| he, she, it | has been twisting | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been twisting |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be twisting |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been twisting |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "I can't get the top off." "Try twisting it the other way."
- A dry stream bed twisted through thick tree roots.
- Every time I try to talk to him about it, he just twists everything I say.
- He's always trying to twist my words and make me look bad.
- Her long blonde hair was twisted into a knot on the back of her head.
- Laura twisted the handkerchief in her hands nervously.
- Max twisted around to see who had entered the room.
- The lawyers twisted everything I said to make it look as if I was guilty.
- The path twisted back and forth up the side of the mountain.
- The road twisted back and forth up the side of the mountain.
- The streets are narrow and twist and turn and it is not advisable to take a car up them.
- We twisted a wire coathanger and used it to open the car door.
- We twisted and tugged to get the mussels loose from their shells.
- We approached Assisi via the dusty road that twists its way up Monte Subasio.
- Wrap the paper around the candy and twist the ends shut.
- Write very clearly so that no one can twist your meaning.
- Able to twist them, direct them, fill them with ecstasy, or torment them.
- First the highway twists low, plunging me into Glenwood Canyon.
- She was fiddling self-consciously with her wedding ring, twisting it around below her knuckle.
- The hangman then twisted the ladder away, turning off the victim.
- The quote was recorded six months before Dall was shoved aside by Ranieri to be left twisting in the wind by Gutfreund.
- Then in 1850, a wire suspension bridge twisted and crumpled under the tread of marching troops.
THESAURUSto change something in order to deceive people
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.
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.
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.
to injure yourself or someone else to damage part of your body, or someone else’s body: · She slipped on the ice and hurt herself badly.· Be careful you don’t hurt anyone with that knife.
to hurt yourself quite severely, or to be hurt in an accident or fighting: · One of our players has injured his leg, and will be out of the game for weeks.· Four people have been seriously injured on the Arizona highway.
to deliberately hurt someone using a weapon such as a knife or gun: · The gunmen shot and killed twelve people and wounded three others.
[usually passive] to hurt someone very severely, especially so that they lose an arm, leg etc, often as the result of an explosion: · In countries where there are landmines, people are killed and maimed daily.
to hurt a part of your body by breaking a bone in it: · The X-ray showed that I had broken my wrist.
to hurt a part of your body when you fall on it or hit it, causing a dark mark to appear on your skin: · Cathy fell off her bike and bruised her legs badly.
to hurt your knee, wrist, shoulder etc by suddenly twisting it while you are moving: · I jumped down from the wall and landed awkwardly, spraining my ankle.
to hurt one of your muscles by stretching it or using it too much: · When you are lifting heavy loads, be careful not to strain a back muscle.
to damage a joint in your body in a way that moves the two parts of the joint out of their normal position: · Our best batsman dislocated his shoulder during training.
[usually passive] to make someone lose the ability to move part or all of their body: · A climbing accident had left him paralysed from the chest down.
Longman Language Activatorwhen a road, path, river etc bends · The road bends right then left, before passing a petrol station. · At the top of the hill, the path bends sharply left and enters a small woodland.
if a road, track, coast etc curves , it has a long smooth bend in it: curve away/round/towards etc: · The dusty white road curved away towards the mountains.· a sandy beach curving gently around the bay
if a road, track, or river winds , it has many smooth bends and is usually very long: wind through/along/around etc: · The trail winds through the hills and then down towards Ironhorse Falls.· Route 101 winds along the coastline for several hundred miles.wind its way: · We decided to take the Blueridge Parkway, which winds its way through the Smoky Mountains.
if a track, road, or stream twists it has many sharp bends and changes direction many times: twist around/along/through etc: · The path twisted back and forth up the side of the mountain.twist and turn: · The streets are narrow and twist and turn and it is not advisable to take a car up them.
if a road, track, or path zigzags it has many sharp bends going in opposite directions: · The path zigzagged from side to side through the steep gully.· ski routes zigzagging down the mountainside
a winding road, river etc is long and has a lot of bends in it: · The car climbed the winding road up into the hills.· a quiet little town on the banks of a peaceful, winding river
a tortuous path, stream, road etc has a lot of bends in so that it is very difficult to travel along: · Most of the villages are accessible only by boat or along tortuous jungle trails.· a twisting, tortuous track through the Snake Mountains
to bend something to make something have a curved shape, or to fold something at an angle, by pushing or pressing it: · Someone had bent the aerial.· He bent the wire into an 'S' shape.bend something back/down etc: · We had to bend the branches back so we could get through the bushes and back onto the path.
to bend and turn something several times, such as a piece of wire, cloth, or rope, especially in order to tie it to something or make something with it: · Laura twisted the handkerchief in her hands nervously.· We twisted a wire coathanger and used it to open the car door.twist something into/around/through etc: · Her long blonde hair was twisted into a knot on the back of her head.
to wind or twist into a round shape, or to wind or twist something in this way: · The snake had coiled itself in a corner of the cage.coil up something/coil something up: · They coiled up the rope and put it away.
to change facts or information in a dishonest way to dishonestly change the meaning of a piece of information or of something that someone has said, in order to get some advantage for yourself or to support your own opinion: · The lawyers twisted everything I said to make it look as if I was guilty.· Every time I try to talk to him about it, he just twists everything I say.· Write very clearly so that no one can twist your meaning.
to give people a wrong idea about someone or their opinions, by what you write or say: · Your reporter has completely misrepresented my opinions about immigration.· Many women feel that the history books either ignore or misrepresent them.
to explain facts, statements etc in a way that makes them seem different from what they really are: · Newspaper readers are usually given a simplified and often distorted version of events.· These incidents were grossly distorted by police witnesses.distort the truth/the facts: · Journalists were accused of sensationalizing the story and distorting the facts.
to dishonestly change official documents or records so that they contain false information: · She falsified her birth certificate to get the job.· A whole team was kept busy falsifying official government records.· Their accounts had been falsified over a long period of time
to pretend that you think someone has said something that is not what they actually said or meant: · I didn't mean that at all -- you're just putting words into my mouth!· You're putting words into her mouth. You don't know what she thinks.
informal to dishonestly change a company's financial records, in order to steal money: · We've just found out Alec's been cooking the books.· The directors of the company made millions from cooking the books before the fraud investigators caught them.
if a government, film company etc rewrites history, it deceives people by pretending that particular historical events did not really happen or that they happened differently: · Hollywood has been accused of rewriting history, by once again denying the role played by African Americans.
to be able to control someone because they like you to be able to control someone because you have made them like you so much that they will do whatever you want: · I introduced Mr Wilkinson to my mother, and within minutes she had him eating out of her hand.· He's brilliant in job interviews -- he always manages to get the panel eating out of his hand.
to be able to control someone so that they do what you want, especially because they love you and want to make you happy: · Get Rebecca to ask Dad for the money -- she can wrap him round her little finger.· Mary knew she could twist Henry round her little finger.
to hurt a part of your body if you hurt a part of your body, you accidentally damage it so that it feels painful or you cannot move it easily: · Nick's hurt his back, and the doctor says he will have to rest for a few weeks.· I can't go running this week - I've hurt my foot.hurt yourself: · That's a sharp knife. Be careful you don't hurt yourself.
to hurt a part of your body, especially seriously and in a way that takes a long time to get better: · Tom injured his shoulder playing tennis.injure yourself: · Many elderly people injure themselves in their own homes, for example by slipping in the bath.
to hurt a part of your body when you fall or hit it against something, causing a dark, painful mark to form on your skin: · Mom fell on the ice and bruised the side of her leg.badly bruise: · Keller badly bruised a hip, and came off early in the second half of the match.· My skin bruises quite easily.
to hurt your knee, wrist, or another joint by twisting or pulling it suddenly and awkwardly: · I sprained my knee while I was playing basketball.· You'll need strong walking boots in the mountains, if you don't want to sprain an ankle.
to break a bone in your body: · It was such bad luck - it was our first time skiing and Nicola broke her leg.
to hurt your knee or another joint, by turning it too suddenly or strongly while you are moving: · I couldn't play, having twisted my knee in the previous night's game.· The doctor said that I'd wrenched my shoulder and shouldn't drive for a while.
: pull a muscle to injure a muscle by stretching it too much, especially during hard physical activity: · I pulled a muscle trying to move the piano into the apartment.· Crawford had been ordered to take a day's rest after pulling a leg muscle.
written to injure a part of your body fairly seriously, especially in a way that means it will take a long time to get better or will never get better: · Lewis damaged his knee in training and will not appear in the game.· When carrying out the operation, doctors have to take great care not to damage the delicate nerve endings.
to injure a joint by falling on it or stretching it so that the two parts of the joint are moved out of their normal position and stay out of position: · Sam dislocated his shoulder in a riding accident.
if part of your body is bleeding , blood is coming out of it because you have been injured: · His head was bleeding, and he'd obviously been in a fight.be bleeding from: · John saw that he was bleeding from some sort of wound on his chest.be bleeding heavily/profusely (=a lot of blood is coming out): · The cut on her leg had opened again and was bleeding heavily.
to try hard to persuade someone also pressure American to keep trying to persuade someone to do something by using threats or unfair influence: · Threats of dismissal were intended to put pressure on the strikers.· Some of the girls started having sex mainly because their boyfriends were pressuring them.put pressure on somebody to do something: · Her parents put pressure on her and her boyfriend to get married.pressure somebody to do something: · Residents are pressuring the mayor to let them manage their own housing association.
informal to use threats or influence to persuade someone to do something: · If the US wants to get South American governments to lean on drug growers, it'll have to be prepared to offer something in return.lean on somebody to do something: · New members have been leaning on Senate leaders to make some changes.
informal to persuade someone to do something they have said they do not want to do - use this humorously when the person will really enjoy what you have persuaded them to do: · I'm sure he would never have come if I hadn't twisted his arm a little.· "Go on, have another drink." "Oh well, if you twist my arm."
to make something turn around to make something turn by moving it with your hand: · Tim turned the handle slowly and pushed open the door.· She put the key in the ignition and turned it, but nothing happened.turn something around (=so that it is facing the opposite direction): · If we turn the table around we can fit more chairs in the room.
to turn something with a quick firm circular movement: · "I can't get the top off." "Try twisting it the other way."· We twisted and tugged to get the mussels loose from their shells.
to turn something such as a handle or part of a machine around and around, especially in order to make something move or start working: · You wind the handle on the side to make the music play.· She wound the car window down to speak to the police officer.· My watch has stopped - I must have forgotten to wind it.
to turn something around on a central rod or point, usually so that it is facing a different direction: · He swivelled the camera on the tripod to follow her as she crossed the yard.swivel something aroundalso swivel something round British: · She swivelled the computer screen around so that I could see it too.
British /twirl American to turn something small backwards and forwards many times with your fingers, especially because you are bored, or are trying to make something work: · She sat in the bar twirling the stem of her wine glass, wishing she were somewhere else.· He kept twiddling the knobs on the radio trying to get a signal.
when a road or river changes direction the place where a road or river turns: · The taxi went around the bend at an alarming speed.bend in: · The balcony overlooked a wide bend in the river.round a bend: · As we rounded the bend, I could see the town up ahead.
a place where there is a bend in the road: · He lost control of the car on a sharp curve.round a curve: · I rounded the curve looking for a place to pull over.
also turning British a place where you can turn and go into another road: · Take the first turning after the traffic lights.· We were supposed to take Highway 12, but I think we missed the turn.
if a road, path, or river winds , it frequently turns and changes direction, in smooth curves: wind between/through/up etc: · A narrow road wound up the hillside towards the little house.· The path wound through the orchard and between small beds of flowers.wind its way: · The staircase appears almost to be floating on air, as it winds its way up three stories.
to frequently turn and change direction, especially in small but sharp turns: twist up/through/towards etc: · A dry stream bed twisted through thick tree roots.twist its way: · We approached Assisi via the dusty road that twists its way up Monte Subasio.
to turn and change direction, especially around things, in smooth curves: weave through/up/across etc: · The river weaved across the plain, towards the sea.weave its way: · The old highway weaved its way through Tucson.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
He twisted his head slightly, and looked up at her. His mouth twisted in a humourless smile. He’s always trying to twist my words and make me look bad.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Janet slipped on the stairs and twisted her ankle. In an ironic twist, the most trustworthy character in the film turned out to be the thief.
He twisted his head slightly, and looked up at her. His mouth twisted in a humourless smile. He’s always trying to twist my words and make me look bad. Janet slipped on the stairs and twisted her ankle. In an ironic twist, the most trustworthy character in the film turned out to be the thief. written (=moves into an unhappy or angry expression)· His mouth twisted in a sneer.
· Mike's usually calm face was contorted with rage.
· Recovery teams continue to clear the tangled wreckage.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· As he fell, he twisted his ankle.· Underfoot, ice forms sharp peaks and treacherous crevices for slipping, tripping and twisting ankles.· If I had twisted my ankle, would people be making such a big deal of it?· She twisted her ankle while getting off the lift and had made the long trip down in pain.· One morning as she was rushing back to the changing rooms one of the models slipped and twisted her ankle.· A broken heart is not the same as a twisted ankle.· Unfortunately he added to his list of injuries by twisting an ankle on landing.· This helps to avoid twisting an ankle when stalking these animals on the rocky terrain they favour.
· After last-minute arm-twisting by Dole, Lott wound up winning by just one vote.· I've had my arms twisted.· The townspeople pulled at his arms and legs, twisting, kicking, punching.
· And she put him inside and their bodies gasped flexed twisted, joined.· She never reached normal stature, and her body was left twisted.
· Her face was twisted into a distorted grimace and her muscles all over her body had gone rigid.· Panic-stricken parents, their faces twisted in fear, ran to the school and frantically searched for their sons or daughters.· The placard was swaying in the air, his lean face was twisted in excitement.· Her face is all twisted up like a snarl.· Ma Katz's face, twisted by hatred, was that of her son.· He was a tall man with a craggy, rubbery face which twisted and turned, often into a sardonic grin.· Christina backed away from Michael, whose handsome face was twisted and distorted by hatred.
· Usquebaugh Deft, practised, eager, Your fingers twist the metal cap.· Holly strained with his fingers to twist the coin under the lip of the bolt.
· Ever since I was a teenager, I have had the bad habit of pulling and twisting my hair.· She could hardly wait to get home, take off her clothes and twist her hair off her neck.· Leave it in and twist small sections of hair together to achieve better curl formation.· Kate tried to turn her head away, but he held her head steady with one hand twisted lightly in her hair.· The lean wind grips him, twisting and pulling his hair.
· When she came downstairs, Nicholas was waiting in the hall, his hands twisting together.· Behind her back, her hands intertwined and twisted feverishly upon each other.· Kate tried to turn her head away, but he held her head steady with one hand twisted lightly in her hair.
· The head twists out as if the skin is wearing an old fashioned collar that's too tight for comfort.· My head twisted around to watch her as I walked.· Its head twisted this way and that as it tried to reach my fingers with its chopping teeth.· His head snapped violently and twisted to follow it, as though it had tethered him, looped around his neck.· She let her head twist around the room.
· Twice in the morning he left the field, limping and in pain after twisting his knee.· Givens said he will not play today because of a twisted knee suffered in practice several days ago.
· And every day of those five weeks has been a knife slowly twisting in a wound.
· Silver-edged lips twisted slightly, and opened.· Rosie said with that upper lip twisting in scorn.
· As her tears continued to fall unheeded to mingle with the rain, her mouth twisted bitterly.· She had even felt her mouth begin to twist itself into a grin ....· At the moment his mouth was twisted with anger, and that made it easier, Hilary thought.· They went down to the water's edge and Gran poked with her stick, mouth twisting in on itself.
· A girl born with the umbilical cord twisted round her neck may feel that she always gets herself tied up in things.· He says the talking drivers twist their necks as they talk and so lose sight of their road horizon.· He had a blanket over him, twisted up round his neck.· And then another crow flew at him, and the Scarecrow twisted its neck also.· Powerful, calloused, sunburnt, they could have twisted the white swan neck of Lady Eleanor as easily as a twig.· I thought she was just standing there twisting the neck of this duck.· Holly had filled the plastic bag with oil and twisted the neck tight and fastened it with a snip of wire.
· White twisted round in his seat to start opening the hatch.· I twisted around in my seat so that I could watch the Trowbridge house out of sight.· I was twisted around in my seat, watching them load, directing Reacher through the intercom.· Some of my dormitory mates made dancing motions and twisted in their seats.
· They were two arrogant, powerful men, both supremely gifted and both twisted out of shape by abusive childhoods.· They twist you out of shape.· He used to make the bullets too, little strips of iron that he heated, twisted, battered into shape.· This wasn't any alien habitat, where even geometry might be twisted out of shape.
· Southworth closed the accounts book, a smile of satisfaction twisting his lips.· You could tell something was badly wrong by the way the woman's smile twisted and her body sagged.
· Despite many bridges, viaducts, embankments, cuttings and tunnels the lines twist and turn in detours around the hills.· They seem to have neither fins nor limbs, and they twist and turn through the water like snakes.
· I twisted one way and then another.· Our city is not governed by a mob which twists this way and that, but by one man.· Things twisted this way and that in her mind.· Martin put a couple of slick fakes on cornerback Larry Brown, turning and twisting him every which way.· Its head twisted this way and that as it tried to reach my fingers with its chopping teeth.· Banners burnt, and tatters twisted, in every way.
· John twisted soft iron wire around some thick dowelling, whittled to a taper, to make candleholders.· The wiry Estrada flashes a partially capped smile as she gratefully recalls her first maquila job twisting electrical wires with latex-tipped fingers.· He'd spent a long time twisting bits of wire together and finding a safe way to steal electricity from the fusebox.· Why not make the rope out of twisted wire?· The muscles in her neck felt as hard and twisted as wire rope.
· My hands needed to stay still, with my wrists twisting up and down after each stroke to flatten out the oars.· He hesitated, then grabbed her wrist and twisted it so that she screamed again and the knife dropped.· I grabbed his wrist, twisting the hand away from my face.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► twist/wrap/wind somebody around your little finger► (don’t) get your knickers in a twist
- And the sporty model, with its bigger tires, felt better in highway twists and turns than its richer sibling.
- But the journey of life has many twists and turns.
- Despite many bridges, viaducts, embankments, cuttings and tunnels the lines twist and turn in detours around the hills.
- First, in high winds the building could twist and turn and pull sections of the walls or windows apart.
- Or by the twists and turns of all that is buried in the human heart.
- Pros: Lots of pyrotechnics and effects, plenty of twists and turns that keep you hanging on.
- She'd twist and turn, she'd fold herself double, she'd cry out.
- The roller-coaster ride of the successful entrepreneur has many such twists and turns.
- "Go on, have another drink." "Oh well, if you twist my arm."
- I'm sure he would never have come if I hadn't twisted his arm a little.
- We had to twist her arm to get her to come.
- As he fell, he twisted his ankle.
- Harriet slipped on the stairs and twisted her ankle.
- If I had twisted my ankle, would people be making such a big deal of it?
- One morning as she was rushing back to the changing rooms one of the models slipped and twisted her ankle.
- She twisted her ankle while getting off the lift and had made the long trip down in pain.
- Twice in the morning he left the field, limping and in pain after twisting his knee.
- Saints twisted the knife with a glorious try from Tony Sullivan, set up by Gary Connolly.
- The tragedy is that you have to twist the knife in your own gray matter to make this defense work.
WORD FAMILYnountwisttwisteradjectivetwistedverbtwist
1move [intransitive, 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.2bend [transitive] to bend or turn something, such as wire, hair, or cloth, into a particular shapetwist something into something She twisted her handkerchief into a knot.twist something together Twist the two ends of the wire together.3wind [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to wind something around or through an objecttwist something round/around/through etc something She twisted a silk scarf round her neck. Ann twisted some daisies through Katherine’s thick brown hair.4turn [transitive] to turn something in a circle using your handtwist something off (something) Jack twisted the cap off the bottle.5road/river [intransitive] if a road, river etc twists, it changes direction in a series of curves: The road twisted between spectacular mountains.6words [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.7twist 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.► see thesaurus at hurt8twist 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 movements9twist somebody’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)twist1 verbtwist2 noun
twisttwist2 ●○○ noun [countable] EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a martini with a twist
- Lorna wears her hair in a twist.
- The diamond sparkled with each twist of the chain.
- The path has a lot of twists and turns.
- And the sporty model, with its bigger tires, felt better in highway twists and turns than its richer sibling.
- Do as many twists as you can.
- Installing the twist anchors and screwing down the decking should prevent a problem with twisting.
- It has enough twists and fakes, double-crosses and sneak attacks to keep your mind spinning.
- She takes her hair down from a twist to pose.
- Styling gel was applied to the ends which were then finished with a twist.
- The authorities have set a limit of one twist per customer per week, which is no way to handle the problem.
Longman Language Activatorthe place where something bends
the place where something bends, especially a road or river: · The plane flew low, following the bends of the river.· You go around a bend and the farm is on the right.sharp bend (=a sudden extreme bend): · He rounded a sharp bend, and suddenly the deep blue Mediterranean lay before him.hairpin bend (=an extremely sharp bend): · The bus creaked slowly round the hairpin bend.
a long smooth bend in a surface, line, or object: · From the balcony, you could see the long curve of the shoreline.· Morgan was killed when he lost control of his car in a curve.
a sudden sharp bend in something: · The path has a lot of twists and turns.
a small sharp bend in something, especially something that is straight for the rest of its length: · If there's a kink in the hose, you won't get any water.· There was a kink in the path just before the bridge.
the place where two parts of someone's body or two parts of a machine are joined, so that they can bend at this place: · I've had a lot of pain in my joints recently, especially in my wrists and shoulders.· The balljoint connects the driveshaft to the gearbox.
to make someone feel crazy to make someone feel crazy or behave in a crazy way: · I've just got to get another job -- this one's driving me nuts.· I can't wait to get my exam results. All this waiting is driving me insane.· I hate doing crossword puzzles -- they drive me mad.· Those kids are enough to drive anyone crazy. I'll be glad when they go back to school.
especially British, informal if something such as a lot of work, worry, or doing something you hate drives you round the bend or drives you round the twist , it makes you feel completely crazy: · I have so much to do at the moment. It's driving me round the twist.· She was really glad when she gave up teaching. It was driving her right round the bend.
to make someone feel crazy, especially by repeatedly doing something annoying: · Can you turn down that TV? It's driving me up the wall!· I love my husband, but he's driving me up the wall.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY 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.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Janet slipped on the stairs and twisted her ankle. In an ironic twist, the most trustworthy character in the film turned out to be the thief.
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. Janet slipped on the stairs and twisted her ankle. In an ironic twist, the most trustworthy character in the film turned out to be the thief. written (=moves into an unhappy or angry expression)· His mouth twisted in a sneer.
· Mike's usually calm face was contorted with rage.
· Recovery teams continue to clear the tangled wreckage.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· It was such a bizarre twist that we couldn't see how anyone would find a way around it.· Was this a bizarre new twist of the plot?· In a bizarre twist, the continuing rise in fuel taxes could force the petrol companies themselves to hike prices further.
· These accounts portray life behind bars as a cruel twist on the Hobbesian description of life: nasty, brutish and long.
· And the ending is slightly unsatisfactory, arguably deficient in the final twist or flourish.· The final twist lifts the story a bit, but hardly enough to care.· It is the final twist in the story of this chapter.· Now it's time for the kill, and the final twists are as clever as they are gripping.· The final twist to the whole presentation graphics story must be the current upsurge in interest in Desktop Video.· But now comes the final twist to the story: the crucial change of emphasis.· There was, however, one final twist.
· A further twist to the uncertainty of fossil fuel supplies was provided by the growing militancy of Britain's miners.· There is a further twist to the labour supply consideration.
· The comedy of reassurance, still, but with a self-conscious, ironic twist that Bruce Forsyth would never have dreamed of.· And in an ironic twist, the Author is played by the same actor as the old farmer.· I know the Story of her Life - each ironic twist.· While all of the separates bore the requisite logos, they also had a sense of humor or ironic twists.· In an ironic twist, this time humans will tackle an 8K run or 2-mile walk.
· The latest twist in a deteriorating relationship between police and loyalist activists was contained in a statement issued to Sunday Life yesterday.· The latest twist is provided by the identification of an alternative candidate gene.· The denial of the Holocaust is the latest twist in this tale of conspiracy and deception.· It's the latest twist in the saga involving council official Tommy Sheppard.
· Cream overflowed the edges of the shallow dish, another little twist of frightening confusion.· I pinched his nose and gave it a little twist.· You may be lucky and that necessary little twist may be given to you by the workings of intuition.· By a simple trick of the intelligence, a deft little twist of naming, he felt incomparably lighter and freer.· She was half-smiling, with a little twist to her mouth.
· Was this a bizarre new twist of the plot?· Then, in a new twist, the Raiders actually reached the end zone.· And a new twist is given to the urge to be a Napoleon.· Arts for All is putting the children's literature favorite on stage, with some new twists.· This merely a selection of the biggest: The Net has added a raft of new twists on the bidding game.· They continued to study and advocate diets, but they did so with some new twists.· Here was a new twist to the Hsu Fu story.
· Only he has this strange twist of plunging straight into what matters.· Full of strange twists and amusing coincidences.· And in some strange, cosmic twist, the name seemed to fit.
· This could create all kinds of unexpected twists in the answers that computers generate.· The abortion debate provided an unexpected twist Thursday.
NOUN· This 1919 film is notable for its stunning expressionist sets and super plot twist at the end.· And yet another plot twist was aired in court Wednesday.· And so it's no surprise that at this point there's a plot twist to introduce the villains of the hour.· But anyone seeking a fresh characterization or clever plot twist ought not to buy a ride on this Murphy vehicle.· Small children in the audience could be heard objecting rather strenuously to this plot twist.
VERB· This is not to say that Shadwell does not add some twists of his own.· Jackson has tried to accommodate him by adding an offensive twist in which Rodman plays in the low post.· Readership duplication and the extremes of circulation size add a surprising twist to these class divisions.· The Microsoft browser incorporates many of the features created by Netscape and adds some twists of its own in a slick package.· The image of the Supercontinent Cycle adds yet another twist to this age-old theory.· Here the story takes on an added twist.· C., adds a new twist.· My friend Penny Lehrman adds an interesting twist to this research project.
· In every chord there is some foreign element, some contradiction which gives an odd twist to the harmony.· I pinched his nose and gave it a little twist.· And then in darkness with a shout that gives a fierce twist to his jaw - we're in it.· The head gave a sudden twist and Jack fired two more bullets into it.· Voice over Clare takes conventional subjects and gives them a twist, physically and artistically.· There is nothing trendy, no attempt to take something old and it give it a new twist.· In the United States, the emergence of bureaucratic government was given a particular twist by its turn-of-the-century setting.
· The 28-year-old mechanical engineer's fortunes took a dramatic twist midway through last season when his career hit rock bottom.· Her coming must have taken a ferocious twist.· Here the story takes on an added twist.· Just when you think you're getting to grips with greenwashing, it takes another twist.· And this week the case took a dramatic twist with the high-seas arrest of Roderick, the dead couple's 26-year-old son.· But minutes later, this carjacking took a deadly new twist.
· Although today began with a cool, misty, autumnal twist, it turned out gloriously fine and bright.· The movie plods along with predictable twists and turns you can see coming for miles.· Nomatterhow many twists and turns that vehicle made, I was able to keep track.· Pros: Lots of pyrotechnics and effects, plenty of twists and turns that keep you hanging on.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► the twistPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► twist/wrap/wind somebody around your little finger► (don’t) get your knickers in a twist
- You'd think I was round the twist if I told you.
- Saints twisted the knife with a glorious try from Tony Sullivan, set up by Gary Connolly.
- The tragedy is that you have to twist the knife in your own gray matter to make this defense work.
WORD FAMILYnountwisttwisteradjectivetwistedverbtwist
1an unexpected feature or change in a situation or series of eventsa 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.2a twisting action or movement: He smiled, a slow cynical twist of his lips.3a bend in a river or road4a small piece of something that is twisted into a particular shapetwist of a twist of lemon5the twist a popular fast dance from the 1960s in which you twist your body from side to side6round 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)