TWISTS Synonyms: 225 Similar and Opposite Words

twists 1 of 2

noun

plural of twist

as in twistings

a forceful rotating or pulling motion for the purpose of dislodging something with a forceful twist she loosened the bolt

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Relevance

as in tricks

an odd or peculiar habit my roommate has his little twists, and I have mine, so things should balance out

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conformities

twists

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of twist

as in distorts

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

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as in curls

to follow a circular or spiral course the path gently twisted down the hill

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straightens

as in turns

to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis twisted my wrist around to stretch it

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as in pulls

to move by or as if by a forceful rotation kept twisting the cap until it came free

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as in squirms

to make jerky or restless movements the dental patient twisted nervously in the chair

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as in weaves

to cause to twine about one another has the habit of idly twisting the strands of her hair while daydreaming

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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 twists

Noun

Four-year-old Juni Wahab was entranced by the sight of the swallows and cormorants swooping low overhead and the rushing twists of water. — Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026 Classic fair comfort food also gets inventive twists throughout the lineup. — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026 Formed in 2014, the six-woman band injects fresh new spirit and musical twists into the flamenco traditions its members embrace. — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026 Passion twists are a versatile style that can be worn as a side part, middle part, or up into a ponytail. — Aleah Wright, InStyle, 8 July 2026 Matt Haig blends the poignant drama of a Douglas Sirk movie with speculative twists straight out of Dickens. — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026 Once again, Adam Elliot balances deep cynicism with wonderment in the challenging and funny film, with a great many unexpected twists. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026 At Caspian’s Cocktails & Caviar, Caesars Palace, they are known bringing rockstar swagger to traditional indulgence, including its menu of playful twists on classic caviar pairings. — Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 In any case, expect more twists and turns on the rollercoaster. — Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 26 June 2026

Verb

An agitator is a post in the machine’s center that twists so the clothes can rub against each other, while impellers have a cone or disc on the bottom of the drum that spins. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2026 Pimiento cheese is a Southern classic, and this dip adds a couple twists to impress at any gathering. — Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 1 July 2026 Often, the bark twists around the tree in a process called strip-barking. — Taryn Shorr-McKee, Travel + Leisure, 21 June 2026 Many injuries occur without direct contact, especially when a foot is planted and the body twists over it. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 June 2026 Meanwhile, other stylists still prefer the traditional Senegalese twists method of using braiding hair to install two-strand twists that combine your natural hair. — Amira Rasool, InStyle, 8 June 2026 But his candidate statement twists scripture to cast Jewish people as treacherous and contains antisemitic tropes, a rabbi with the conservative synagogue Mosaic Law Congregation told The Bee. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026 And yet as the series expands from and twists around its simple horror concept (a wedding at the groom-to-be’s family house in the woods is fated for a titular dark catastrophe), Morrone’s performance as Rachel is able to shoulder the weight of quite a bit of backstory and a complicated endgame. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 May 2026 Some episodes feature mystery box twists containing advantages and hindrances that throw the competition into chaos. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 28 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for twists

Noun

Momentus’ spacecraft can also serve as space tugs to ferry smaller satellites or experiments from one orbit to another.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026
Here, fat-tire bicycles seem to outnumber cars, hours are measured in sunscreen applications and tugs on fishing lines, and island nightlife belongs to nesting sea turtles.

— Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 7 July 2026

Definition of tugs

Verb

So this distorts things – the sub numbers don’t really tell the story.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
Nigeria rejected the International Monetary Fund’s finding that the country has engaged in extra-budgetary public spending that distorts its deficit levels, blaming poor interpretation of its financial reporting method for the misunderstanding.

— Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of distorts

Verb

Dry all surfaces completely and replace knobs, drip pans, and coils back on the stove.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 July 2026
Visitors are typically brought by elevator to the uppermost exhibition level and then follow a broad, gently descending ramp that coils around a central void.

— Bridget Borgobello May 30, New Atlas, 30 May 2026

Definition of coils

Verb

The fish gives you polish, but the chimichurri pulls it back toward Argentina, toward the grill, toward the street.

— Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Investors are trying to suss out where the Fed will take interest rates, as Warsh pulls back on how the Fed talks about its plans.

— Matt Peterson, CNBC, 15 July 2026

Definition of pulls

Verb

The rapper, who has the small role of a bard in Nolan’s cinematic retelling of the Greek epic poem, weaves together Homer’s prose with modern lyricism on the ghostly track that alludes to Odysseus’ long journey.

— Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2026
The hotel’s design concept weaves a story around the fictional historic Lamarck University, an homage to the French evolutionary theorist, which was supposedly founded in 1894, then abandoned in the 1940s, and ultimately restored by Marriott.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026