# twist the knife

> English word · Verb

## Definitions
1. To deliberately do or say something to worsen a difficult situation or increase a person's distress, irritation, or anger.

## Etymology
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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/twist-the-knife