twist of the knife

noun

An action that worsens a difficult situation or increases a person's distress, irritation, or anger.

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Meanings

nountwist of the knife (plural twists of the knife)

plural twists of the knife

  1. figurativelyinformalAn 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

Origin

See twist the knife.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

twist of the knife. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/twist%20of%20the%20knife

MLA

“twist of the knife.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/twist%20of%20the%20knife. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “twist of the knife,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/twist%20of%20the%20knife.

Source: twist of the knife on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.