twisted someone's words
Deliberately misquoted someone
To twist someone's words is to misrepresent what they said, usually by taking statements out of context or distorting their meaning to make them sound worse than intended: Don't twist my words—that's not what I meant at all.
The phrase implies deliberate manipulation rather than innocent misunderstanding.
Often used accusatorially when someone feels misquoted or unfairly characterized.
- misquoteInaccurate citation
- misunderstandGrasp incorrectly
- mishearPerceive speech incorrectly
- misrepresentDepict inaccurately or falsely
- take out of contextIsolate to distort meaning
manipulate · cherry-pick · distort · falsify · spin · reframe · misread · misconstrue · confuse · exaggerate · oversimplify · accuse · strawman · misjudge · defend · confront · apologize · explain