twist the knife
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twist the knife
Where it comes from
Derived from the fact that the act of literally twisting a knife that is still inside someone who has just been stabbed will widen the wound and make it even more painful.
verb twists the knife · twisting the knife · twisted the knife · turn the knife · twist the knife in the wound
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To deliberately do or say something to worsen a difficult situation or increase a person's distress, irritation, or anger.
"And I'm not seeing anyone," she added, just to twist the knife — in whom, she wasn't sure.
Similar: kick someone when they are down, rub salt in the wound
Translations
Every language
verb Translations
| Español | hacer sangre |
|---|---|
| Français | remuer le couteau dans la plaie |
| Italiano | girare il coltello nella piaga |
Talk about this word "twist the knife." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/twist%20the%20knife. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. twist the knife. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/twist%20the%20knife "twist the knife." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/twist%20the%20knife.Cite this
@misc{twist_the_knife_2026,
title = {twist the knife},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/twist%20the%20knife},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
