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to twist

to twist

82 6.3
To change what someone said to make it mean something different, often to mislead
  • verb
  • /twɪst/
: torcer
  • If it doesn't ring true, then they are probably just twisting the words or fabricating them entirely.
  • twist the truth
  • twist the evidence

I think they are, they twist facts or they make facts up.

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Examples

  • Politicians often twist the truth to gain support for their campaigns.

  • The press twists all that stuff.

  • Anyway, he went on stage to do the marketing thing, which is twist the truth heavily.

  • I think they are, they twist facts or they make facts up.

  • He twisted my words... for his own cause.

  • For the state to twist this into a threat runs afoul of the First Amendment.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Soviet television took facts and twisted them to suit the Kremlin's goals.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Like other conspiracy theorists, the Goddess' proponents twist evidence blatantly when they do not simply invent it.

    Academic text (1993)
  • The journalist accused the editor of twisting his article to create sensational headlines.

  • She can twist your words during a debate to make you seem like you said something you didn't.

Synonyms

to distort
vsto twist
77 4.6

To change facts so they become false or misleading

focuses on deliberate meaning change aimed at misleading others
to warp
vsto twist
34 7.4

To change facts or stories so they are not true

emphasizes intentional alteration of meaning to deceive rather than physical change
to pervert
vsto twist
18 7.2

Change the meaning or purpose so it becomes wrong

highlights deliberate moral corruption of meaning rather than mild distortion
to fudge
vsto twist
16 7.5

To change numbers or facts dishonestly to hide the truth

involves deliberate changing of meaning specifically to mislead rather than general inaccuracy
to twist around
vsto twist
10 6.4

Change words or facts to make a person look bad

is identical in meaning but is the more concise fixed form
to garble
vsto twist
7 8.0

To change a message so people cannot understand it

is more about intentional change to mislead rather than accidental confusion
to bend the truth
vsto twist
4 5.9

To say something that is not exactly what happened to make it look better

is stronger, involving clear deliberate change of meaning to deceive
to alter
vsto twist
4 7.9

To change a text by adding words, often to make it false

is wider, covering deliberate meaning change by many methods not only insertion
to juggle
vsto twist
4 4.8

Change facts or numbers to hide the truth

is focused on direct change of meaning rather than clever juggling of facts
to sophisticate
vsto twist
  • Formal
9.9

To use unclear or false words to make people believe something untrue

is broader, covering any deliberate change without needing ambiguous phrasing

Antonyms

255 3.3

To make something clear so others can understand it

Idioms

10 4.4

Get someone to agree or do something by pressuring them

To become upset or worried about small things

1 8.9

A hurtful comment or action that makes someone feel worse after bad news

Phrasal Verbs

Change words or facts to make a person look bad

Compounds

A surprising event in a story that changes the expected outcome

1 3.4

A surprising change that makes something more fun

A new version of an old idea used in fashion, food, or stories

twist drill
  • Specialized
1 4.9

A small cutting tool with spiral grooves that makes holes in wood or metal

A lid you turn to open and close, usually on jars or bottles

twist bit
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A drill part with spiral grooves that cuts holes in wood or metal

1 3.9

A small unexpected hot flavor added to a dish

twist song
  • Archaic
1 5.5

A song for the Twist dance that made people dance in the 1960s

A lid you open by turning to remove from a bottle or jar

9.9

A bush that loses its leaves and has red berries that turn black when ripe

How Distorted

to pervert
18 7.2
to falsify
  • Formal
45 7.3
to twist
82 6.3
to distort
77 4.6
to garble
7 8.0
to misstate
13 6.2

Surface Forms

twist infinitive
twisted past
twisted past participle
twisting present participle
twists third person singular

Etymology

To twist someone's words comes from the same basic idea 'to turn' — it means to turn the meaning away from what was really said. So if someone 'twists' your words they change the original sense.