unexpected twist
Narrative sudden turn
An unexpected twist is a sudden, surprising turn of events that upends what seemed predictable—most often in a story or narrative: The movie's unexpected twist revealed the detective was the killer.
The phrase appears in discussions of fiction, sports, legal cases, or any situation where assumptions get overturned: In an unexpected twist, the underdog won the championship.
- surpriseUnexpected event causing astonishment
- shockViolent sudden disturbance
- out of nowhereWithout apparent origin
- revelationSurprising disclosed truth
- curveballPitch with spin-induced arc
left turn · bombshell · cliffhanger · reversal · stunner · gasp · blindside · shock value · switcheroo · whiplash · betrayal · unmasking · red herring · double-cross · gotcha · pivot · swerve · wild card
- ironic twistspoetic justice, dramatic irony, situational irony, tragic irony, reversal of fortune
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