I remember reading dictionaries as a kid, the different letters were like chapters in a novel and I remember having my favorites: H, Y and Z.
Our Spanish version “tergiversar/tergiversación” is a very common word even in informal conversation. It appears at most angry discussions, in those situations is very common that your opponent tries using your own words against you, at this point we always reply: “¡Estás tergiversando lo que he dicho!/You’re tergiversating what I’ve said!”.
I don’t know if this is a case of false friends but, before reading this thread, I wouldn’t have doubted using this word in English.
So, what is the correct word to use when someone is making subtle changes on your words or in its intonation in order to change the purported meaning of them?.