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Meaning & use

twist up

verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌtwɪst ˈʌp/
US/ˌtwɪst ˈʌp/

Meanings

  1. verbphrasal verb

    To wind or turn something around itself or around another thing so it forms a tight, twisted shape.

    Grammar: Takes an object, which can go before up: twist the paper up or twist up the paper.

    Patterns

    • twist something up
    • twist up something

    She twisted up the corner of the bag and sealed it with a clip.

    He twisted up a strip of paper to light the candle.

    The cable was twisted up so tightly that it would not stretch.

  2. verbtransitive or intransitiveinformal

    To become tangled, knotted or tense, or to make someone feel tense or confused inside.

    Grammar: Often passive or with a feeling: his stomach twisted up; the story twisted me up.

    Patterns

    • twist up
    • be twisted up

    My stomach twisted up when I saw the exam questions.

    The headphone cords twisted up in my bag again.

    The news about the accident twisted him up for days.

Word forms

third person singulartwists up
past tensetwisted up
past participletwisted up
-ing formtwisting up

Common combinations

twist up a rope
They twisted up a rope from strips of old cloth.
twist up your hair
She twisted up her hair and fastened it with a pen.
twist up in knots
His nerves twisted up in knots before the speech.
stomach twists up
My stomach twisted up with worry.
twist up the cord
Don't twist up the cord when you wind it.

Synonyms and how they differ

coil
Coil means winding something into loops or a spiral, but twist up suggests turning it into a tight rope-like shape.
tangle
Tangle suggests a messy knot that is hard to undo, while twist up can be deliberate.
wring
Wring means squeezing and twisting something to force liquid out, which is narrower than twist up.
knot
Knot means tying a firm join, whereas twist up only suggests turning.

Opposites

untwistunwind

Word family

twist verb
to turn or bend something around
twist noun
a turn or bend; also a surprise in a story
twisted adjective
bent into a spiral, or cruel and strange
twisty adjective
full of bends and turns

Commonly confused: twist up or twist off?

twist up vs twist off

Twist off means removing a lid or part by turning it, whereas twist up means shaping or tangling by turning.

Practice

The long phone cord ___ every time she sat on the couch to talk.

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