закручивали

In a sentence

• Они закручивали болт с помощью гаечного ключа.

  They were tightening the bolt using a wrench.

  Here, 'закручивали' means 'they were tightening' or 'they were screwing in' and describes an action of fastening.

• В детстве мы часто закручивали волосы в кудри.

  In childhood, we often curled our hair into curls.

  In this context, 'закручивали' refers to the action of twisting or curling hair.

• Рассказ был захватывающим, как будто они специально закручивали интригу.

  The story was captivating, as if they were deliberately creating intrigue.

  Here, 'закручивали' metaphorically represents the act of complicating or intensifying the intrigue in a story.