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twist up

B2 neutral separable both
In simple words

Wrap something tightly in a twist, or make something (or someone's feelings) all tangled up.

Literal meaning: To coil or contort something by rotating it repeatedly.

Meanings

1 B1 neutral

To coil or wind something tightly into a twisted shape.

"She twisted up the paper into a tight cone for the seeds."

Grammar: separable
2 B2 idiomatic informal

To cause someone to feel emotionally confused, anxious, or in inner turmoil.

"The uncertainty about his future had twisted him up inside for weeks."

Grammar: separable
3 C1 idiomatic slang

(British informal) To roll a cannabis cigarette.

"He sat in the garden and twisted one up while listening to music."

Grammar: separable
Usage notes

Used both literally (twisting materials) and figuratively (emotional distortion). In British slang, 'twisted up' can describe a state of emotional confusion or anguish. Also used in drug slang to describe rolling a joint.

Commonly used with

wire feelings face paper rope inside

Forms

Base
twist up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
twists up
he/she/it
Past simple
twisted up
yesterday
Past participle
twisted up
have + pp
-ing form
twisting up
continuous

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Synonyms

coil contort distort knot tangle wring

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