Question

Sophist:  The sophist twisted facts to win the debate rather than seek the truth.

Simple meaning behind this definition

Answer 1

It means: a sophist is someone who bends or misuses facts and clever-sounding arguments to win an argument, instead of honestly trying to discover or tell what is true.

Example: in a debate they quote misleading numbers and distract from the main issue just to convince people, not to find the correct answer.