: mentally or emotionally unsound or disturbed : sick
a cruel, twisted mind
And you know there will be some strange and twisted bitter man who will listen to all our messages.—
Cynthia Heimel
Cynthia Heimel
Synonyms
Examples of twisted in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With Hawley writing the first five episodes and co-writing the sixth, this is vintage linguistic Fargo, all twisted syntax, antiquated vernacular and digressions into allegory, folklore and history.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Nov. 2023
Depending on guests’ fancy, meals can be served surrounded by twisted vines of juicy tomatoes in the spiral produce garden or in a picnic basket to unpack on the banks of the ponds.
—Chrissie McClatchie, Robb Report, 14 Nov. 2023
Like twisted forms of fireworks, Buck and his regime watch as smoke, bullets and flashes from impact light up the night sky.
—Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 9 Nov. 2023
The wall of the stairwell had been partially destroyed, forcing Israeli soldiers to duck beneath a twisted iron beam.
—Raf Sanchez, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2023
Under the school’s exalted stone and spires are students lying and envying and pretending in a twisted garden of earthly delights.
—Ellen Gamerman, WSJ, 4 Nov. 2023
Art installations—ranging from a single parking metre to the Big Rig Jig—a sculpture made from two twisted 18 wheelers—are spread out over five square miles.
—Hazlitt, 1 Nov. 2023
Once lined with sleek hotels, nightclubs and seaside restaurants selling fish, the road was now nearly unrecognizable: strewn with glass, twisted metal and other debris.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023
Then there was the awfulness of visiting a Nevada town, the hideous, twisted faces of the people, the heat bearing down, the sky a burning chromium white, every interaction a kind of torture.
—Christopher Ketcham, Harper's Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023
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Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Nov. 2023
Depending on guests’ fancy, meals can be served surrounded by twisted vines of juicy tomatoes in the spiral produce garden or in a picnic basket to unpack on the banks of the ponds.
—Chrissie McClatchie, Robb Report, 14 Nov. 2023
Like twisted forms of fireworks, Buck and his regime watch as smoke, bullets and flashes from impact light up the night sky.
—Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 9 Nov. 2023
The wall of the stairwell had been partially destroyed, forcing Israeli soldiers to duck beneath a twisted iron beam.
—Raf Sanchez, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2023
Under the school’s exalted stone and spires are students lying and envying and pretending in a twisted garden of earthly delights.
—Ellen Gamerman, WSJ, 4 Nov. 2023
Art installations—ranging from a single parking metre to the Big Rig Jig—a sculpture made from two twisted 18 wheelers—are spread out over five square miles.
—Hazlitt, 1 Nov. 2023
Once lined with sleek hotels, nightclubs and seaside restaurants selling fish, the road was now nearly unrecognizable: strewn with glass, twisted metal and other debris.
—Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2023
Then there was the awfulness of visiting a Nevada town, the hideous, twisted faces of the people, the heat bearing down, the sky a burning chromium white, every interaction a kind of torture.
—Christopher Ketcham, Harper's Magazine, 16 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'twisted.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1890, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near twisted
Cite this Entry
“Twisted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/twisted. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on twisted
Nglish: Translation of twisted for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of twisted for Arabic Speakers
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