plural screws
1
a
: a simple machine of the inclined plane type consisting of a spirally grooved solid cylinder and a correspondingly grooved hollow cylinder into which it fits
b
: a nail-shaped or rod-shaped piece with a spiral groove and a slotted or recessed head designed to be inserted into material by rotating (as with a screwdriver) and used for fastening pieces of solid material together
2
a
: a form that resembles a screw : spiral
b
: a turn of a screw
also
: a twist like the turn of a screw
c
: a device (such as a corkscrew) that resembles a screw
3
: a worn-out horse
4
chiefly British
: a small packet (as of tobacco)
5
: a prison guard
6
: a person who bargains shrewdly
also
: skinflint
7
: a propeller especially of a ship
8
b
: pressure or punitive measures intended to coerce
—used chiefly in the phrase put the screws on or put the screws to
9
a
vulgar
: an act of sexual intercourse
b
vulgar
: a partner in sexual intercourse
see also:
screwed; screwing; screws
1
a(1)
: to attach, fasten, or close by means of a screw
(2)
: to unite or separate by means of a screw or a twisting motion
(3)
: to press tightly in a device (such as a vise) operated by a screw
(4)
: to operate, tighten, or adjust by means of a screw
(5)
: to torture by means of a thumbscrew
b
: to cause to rotate spirally about an axis
2
3
: to increase the intensity, quantity, or capability of
If one can screw up the courage to ask, word-of-mouth recommendations are very good.—
Gregory Simon, quoted in Consumer Reports
Gregory Simon, quoted in Consumer Reports4
a(1)
: to mistreat or exploit through extortion, trickery, or unfair actions
especially
: to deprive of or cheat out of something due or expected
(2)
: to treat so as to bring about injury or loss (as to a person's reputation)
… use the available federal machinery to screw our political enemies.—J. W. Dean III
—often used as a generalized curseJ. W. Dean IIIscrew you!
b
: to extract by pressure or threat
5
vulgar
: to copulate with
1
: to rotate like or as a screw
2
: to turn or move with a twisting or writhing motion
3
vulgar
: copulate
screwer
noun
Examples of screw in a Sentence
Verb
I screwed the boards together.
The cupboards are screwed to the wall.
Screw the cap on tight.
Screw the light bulb into the fixture.
The lid screws onto the jar.
The light bulb screws right in.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Inspect your deck for rotting boards, loose or rusted fasteners and screws, protruding nails, splintered areas, and termite damage.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
Between some horrendous screw-ups, terrible decision-making, and some plain old bad luck, their situation, and that of their mother, Linda Morelli (Laurie Metcalf), who is running for mayor, only gets worse.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Apr. 2026
Be sure to see the Thai Pavilion, crafted without nails or screws by Thai artisans.
—Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 9 Apr. 2026
Featuring magnetic and screw-free mounting, these cameras snap onto any metal surface for a rock-solid hold in seconds.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
This is a prototype phone, featuring a chunky frame and visible screws.
—ArsTechnica, 6 Apr. 2026
Some vehicles, however, have a bayonet-type attachment that uses two screws to hold the wiper in place.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
In one workshop, a robot repeatedly practices a precise task—using two fingers to pick up a tiny screw no larger than a fingernail.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 3 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
Semi-screwed There’s a world in which Colby was the most screwed over by the rock draw — because Dee and Emily are friends who already played together, and both were aligned with Cirie — but that world is one in which he was not injured and likely limping out of the game anyway.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
A lot of times, much of a Hollywood memoir is someone saying this person screwed me over, this bad thing happened, and so on.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Pet owners will love the hair screw tool, which expertly removes even long hair from upholstery without getting tangled.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
In another part of the factory, a worker used a wooden stick, like a tongue compressor at a doctor’s office, to scrape excess bits of explosive out of the grooves inside each shell, ensuring that the base would screw on smoothly.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
The result is that many contestants are frequent collaborators and have long histories with one another, adding extra juice to their attempts to screw each other over.
—Claire McNear, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2026
Another big upgrade in terms of the Neo’s repairability compared to previous MacBooks, according to reviewers, is its screw-in battery.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 15 Mar. 2026
Then there are the indirect ways stress can screw with your gut.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 13 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Her video first depicted the screw, apparently lodged vertically into the shoe's sole, then captured the moments afterward in which her boyfriend worked to twist it out of the foam.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Inspect your deck for rotting boards, loose or rusted fasteners and screws, protruding nails, splintered areas, and termite damage.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
Between some horrendous screw-ups, terrible decision-making, and some plain old bad luck, their situation, and that of their mother, Linda Morelli (Laurie Metcalf), who is running for mayor, only gets worse.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Apr. 2026
Be sure to see the Thai Pavilion, crafted without nails or screws by Thai artisans.
—Ashlyn Ware, Midwest Living, 9 Apr. 2026
Featuring magnetic and screw-free mounting, these cameras snap onto any metal surface for a rock-solid hold in seconds.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 6 Apr. 2026
This is a prototype phone, featuring a chunky frame and visible screws.
—ArsTechnica, 6 Apr. 2026
Some vehicles, however, have a bayonet-type attachment that uses two screws to hold the wiper in place.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
In one workshop, a robot repeatedly practices a precise task—using two fingers to pick up a tiny screw no larger than a fingernail.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
As if she’d been presented with a tidy, screw-like riddle from the Sphynx.
—Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
Semi-screwed There’s a world in which Colby was the most screwed over by the rock draw — because Dee and Emily are friends who already played together, and both were aligned with Cirie — but that world is one in which he was not injured and likely limping out of the game anyway.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
A lot of times, much of a Hollywood memoir is someone saying this person screwed me over, this bad thing happened, and so on.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Pet owners will love the hair screw tool, which expertly removes even long hair from upholstery without getting tangled.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2026
In another part of the factory, a worker used a wooden stick, like a tongue compressor at a doctor’s office, to scrape excess bits of explosive out of the grooves inside each shell, ensuring that the base would screw on smoothly.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
The result is that many contestants are frequent collaborators and have long histories with one another, adding extra juice to their attempts to screw each other over.
—Claire McNear, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2026
Another big upgrade in terms of the Neo’s repairability compared to previous MacBooks, according to reviewers, is its screw-in battery.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 15 Mar. 2026
Then there are the indirect ways stress can screw with your gut.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/screw. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
screw
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a simple machine consisting of a solid cylinder with a winding groove around it and a correspondingly grooved hollow cylinder into which it fits
b
: a nail-shaped or rod-shaped metal piece with a winding groove used for fastening solid pieces together
2
3
screw
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to attach, fasten, or close with a screw
b
: to operate, tighten, or adjust with a screw
c
: to turn or twist on a screwlike thread
2
: to twist out of shape
a face screwed up in pain
3
: to increase in amount
trying to screw up enough nerve to ask
screwer
noun
Medical Definition
screw
noun
: a threaded device used in bone surgery for fixation of parts (as fragments of fractured bones)
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