plot twist

noun

A change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot of a film, novel, or other narrative work.

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Meanings

nounplot twist (plural plot twists)

plural plot twists

  1. A change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot of a film, novel, or other narrative work.

    It was daring of Lena Dunham, the show’s writer and creator, to introduce this particular plot twist. Assisted suicide is one of the subjects that American television shows steadily avoid.

    2014 March 27, Robin Marantz Henig, “Fictional Plotlines and Real Assisted Suicide”, in The Atlantic

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 劇情轉彎 /剧情转弯
  • 劇情轉彎 /剧情转弯 (jùqíng zhuǎnwān)change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
Dutch plotwending, plottwist
  • plotwendingchange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
  • plottwistchange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
  • verwikkelingchange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
  • intrigechange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
Estonian sisupööre
  • sisupöörechange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
Finnish juonenkäänne
  • juonenkäännechange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
French rebondissement, coup de théâtre
  • rebondissementchange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
  • coup de théâtrechange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
  • retournement de situationchange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
German unerwartete Wendung, überraschende Wendung der Handlung
  • unerwartete Wendungchange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
  • überraschende Wendung der Handlungchange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
  • Plottorsionchange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
  • Plottwistchange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
Greek συστροφή πλοκών
  • συστροφή πλοκών (systrofí plokón)change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
Italian colpo di scena
  • colpo di scenachange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
Japanese プロットの再方向付け, プロットの捻れ
  • プロットの再方向付け (purotto no sai-hōkōzuke)change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
  • プロットの捻れ (purotto no nejire)change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
Korean 작의 강선전도
  • 작의 강선전도 (jagui gangseonjeondo)change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
Polish zwrot akcji
  • zwrot akcjichange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
Portuguese reviravolta, plot twist
  • reviravoltachange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
  • plot twistchange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
Russian поворо́т сюже́та
  • поворо́т сюже́та (povorót sjužéta)change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
Spanish cambio de dirección del diagrama, giro
  • cambio de dirección del diagramachange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
  • girochange in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
Ukrainian поворо́т сюже́ту, сюже́тний поворо́т
  • поворо́т сюже́ту (povorót sjužétu)change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
  • сюже́тний поворо́т (sjužétnyj povorót)change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot
Cite this entry
APA

plot twist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plot%20twist

MLA

“plot twist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plot%20twist. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “plot twist,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/plot%20twist.

Source: plot twist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.