twisting (2024)

FAQs

When someone says you're twisting their words? ›

The Art of Twisting Words

This happens when someone knowingly misconstrues the meaning of what another person has said, often to serve their agenda or perspective.

Gaslighting is a type of psychological manipulation that involves distorting words to instill doubt in an individual's mind regarding their memory, perception, or mental stability. It's a calculated move to make someone question their own understanding and reality.

Twisting your opponent's statements is what's known as making a “straw man”—a false representation of what they said—and is one of many underhanded tactics used to derail an argument. If this is done to something you said during an argument, be charitable first and assume what you said was unclear somehow.

: to repeat what someone said in a way that has a different meaning.

1) Twisting your words

Instead of acknowledging and addressing it, they'll twist your words around, transforming the situation to appear as though you're the one at fault – hence, playing the victim. This tactic leaves many feeling confused and guilty.

Twisting the language around can result in agreement, confusion, distraction, or defeat. Twisting the language around is a logical fallacy because it does not prove any logical point; it merely looks like a logical point. Circular reasoning and begging the question twist the language around.

As a straw man argument, it involves quoting an opponent out of context in order to misrepresent their position (typically to make it seem more simplistic or extreme) in order to make it easier to refute. It is common in politics.

You might twist off a bottle cap, or you might even twist the plot of a story you are writing. A kite's tail twists in the wind, curling around itself, and a baker twists a piece of dough into a pretzel shape.

noun. the act of squirming or turning about; wiggling: Her restless twisting disturbed the bedsheets. the act or practice of tricking the holder of a life insurance policy into switching to a policy from a new company that is less advantageous for them.

Torsional stress is a form of shear stress experienced by a body when a twisting force is applied.

How to maintain twist out men? ›

• 6mo ago. You could say that they're "twisting your words", so they're a manipulator.

As frustrating as it can be to have people twist your words and project every petty issue they have onto you. It's best to ignore them, and play it cool. Don't confront them. They have probably been doing this to people for a long time.

: 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.

(of words) having the meaning distorted or perverted: It is a sad day when outright lies and twisted words triumph over truth.