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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

twist of the knife en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Etymology

See twist the knife.

Meanings

  1. (figuratively, informal) An action that worsens a difficult situation or increases a person's distress, irritation, or anger.
    • But Mr. Christie had instructed the audience to listen for what he dismissively called the “memorized 25-second speech,” adding, with a twist of the knife, that it was “exactly what his advisers gave him.” 2016 February 7, Michael Barbaro, “Once Impervious, Marco Rubio Is Diminished by a Caustic Chris Christie”, in The New York Times:

Forms

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twists of the knife Number=Plur lexicographic