- [countable] the action of turning something with your hand, or of turning a part of your body
- She gave the lid another twist and it came off.
- He gave a shy smile and a little twist of his head.
- He finished him off with a quick twist of the knife.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- little
- slight
- quick
- …
- give something
- twist of
- twist to
Definitions on the go
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- [countable] an unexpected change or development in a story or situation
- the twists and turns of his political career
- The story has taken another twist.
- The disappearance of a vital witness added a new twist to the case.
- By a curious twist of fate we met again only a week or so later.
- a bizarre twist to the tale
Extra ExamplesTopics Literature and writingc1, Film and theatrec1- The writer takes well-known fairy tales and gives them an ironic twist.
- In a bizarre twist to the evening the police came at eleven and arrested our host.
- The movie gives this old legend a real modern twist.
- the latest twist in the saga of high-level corruption
- horror movies with twist endings
- I thought it would be an interesting twist on the zombie movie.
- I added my own twist to the whole thing.
- classic French dishes with a twist
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- final
- latest
- added
- …
- give something
- have
- offer
- …
- ending
- in a twist
- with a twist
- twist in
- …
- a twist in the tale
- a twist of fate
- twists and turns
- …
- [countable] a sharp bend in a road or river
- The car followed the twists and turns of the mountain road.
- They approached a twist in the path.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- sharp
- twist in
- twists and turns
- [countable] a thing that has been twisted into a particular shape
- mineral water with a twist of lemon
Extra Examples- A twist in the hose was stopping the water coming out.
- a wry twist to her lips
- the twist[singular] a fast dance that was popular in the 1960s, in which you twist from side to side
action of turning
unexpected change
in road/river
shape
dance
Word OriginOld English (as a noun), of Germanic origin; probably from the base of twin and twine. Current verb senses date from late Middle English.
Idioms
See twist in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee twist in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishget your knickers in a twist (British English)
(North American English get your panties in a bunch)
- (informal) to become angry, confused or upset
round the bend/twist
- (especially British English, informal) crazy
Check pronunciation:
twist