1
as in twisting
a forceful rotating or pulling motion for the purpose of dislodging something
with a forceful twist she loosened the bolt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in trick
an odd or peculiar habit
my roommate has his little twists, and I have mine, so things should balance out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to distort
to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of
my enemies will twist my words, but you'll only hear the truth out of me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to curl
to follow a circular or spiral course
the path gently twisted down the hill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
4
5
as in to twitch
to make jerky or restless movements
the dental patient twisted nervously in the chair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to weave
to cause to twine about one another
has the habit of idly twisting the strands of her hair while daydreaming
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of twist
Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 29 Jan. 2026
These years may have been full of plot twists, but also reinvention in the name of greater financial freedom.
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2026
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 27 Jan. 2026
The fibers withstood more than 10,000 cycles of bending and abrasion, stretched up to 30%, were easily twisted, and survived being washed 100 times.
—New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for twist
Noun
The recently released fourth outing of Netflix’s massively popular Regency romance — adapted from Julia Quinn’s best-selling book series — is a twist on the Grimm brothers’ fable.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 29 Jan. 2026
These years may have been full of plot twists, but also reinvention in the name of greater financial freedom.
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
Another twists forward inside a narrow pipe.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 27 Jan. 2026
The fibers withstood more than 10,000 cycles of bending and abrasion, stretched up to 30%, were easily twisted, and survived being washed 100 times.
—New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for twist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for twist
Noun
-
So much grunt routes through a trick all-wheel-drive system that actually uses a two-speed gearbox ahead of the engine between the front wheels, in addition to a more traditional eight-speed dual-clutch transaxle routing power to the rears.—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Our mother figures and friends can serve as the best sources of inspiration for beauty tips and tricks, thanks to many years of trial and error.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Likewise, Guy Wolf, global head of market analytics at global financial services platform Marex, signaled that the price action in parts of the precious-metals complex has become increasingly distorted.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
-
For years, social networks have been plagued by bot accounts which typically mimic human engagement to do things like pump cryptocurrency prices or distort public perception through amplifying hate speech.—
Anna Tong,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In a departure from past practice, some competitions, notably curling and ice hockey, will begin preliminary rounds on February 4 and 5, in advance of the official opening ceremony, due to the tight schedule.—
Sam Leveridge,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
On the wintry end of things, curling returned as a medal event, after a 74-year hiatus, at the 1998 Nagano Games, which also marked the debut of snowboarding.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The facility outside the city of Isfahan was mainly known for producing the uranium gas that is fed into centrifuges to be spun and purified.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Recently, scientists discovered the fastest-spinning large asteroid in the solar system.—
January 31,
NPR,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Bulldogs pulled within 69-66 with just over nine minutes remaining, but the Aggies answered with back-to-back three-pointers from Ali Dibba and Jacari Lane to regain control.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Video shows the girl carefully pulling a coaster from the tower before the entire structure cascades downward in seconds, prompting audible reactions from spectators.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The bonito’s body twitched until Yamasaki slid a thin metal wire down the column of its spinal cord, a second step called shinkei jime, which arrests its nervous system.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
-
Persistent muscle twitches Everyone’s muscles twitch from time to time, usually at various locations.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Before every artful-minded modern horror film became about grief and trauma, The Babadook explored these themes with authenticity, deftly weaving in Amelia's grief over the loss of her husband and her inability to control her son with traditional horror tropes.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Across it, Thomas embraces maximalism, weaving together R&B, funk, and psychedelic rock to showcase his wide array of influences (everyone from D’Angelo to Jimi Hendrix) and talents as a multi-instrumentalist.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Even as home priorities tug, warmth and patience keep everyone on your side through this shift.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Available in eight shades, the lip liners are formulated with hyaluronic filling spheres for a tug-free glide, coconut and jojoba oil blend for lightweight nourishment, and carnauba and candelilla wax blend to help create precise, seamless lines.—
Kathryn Hopkins,
Footwear News,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Twist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/twist. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
