To save this word, you'll need to log in.
screw·up | \ ˈskrü-ˌəp 
\
\screw up
verbscrewed up; screwing up; screws up
Definition of screw up (Entry 2 of 2)
1 : to tighten, fasten, or lock by or as if by a screw
: to botch an activity or undertaking
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms for screwup
Synonyms: Noun
- blunder,
- bobble,
- boo-boo,
- boob
- [British],
- brick,
- clanger
- [British],
- clinker,
- error,
- fault,
- flub,
- fluff,
- fumble,
- gaff,
- gaffe,
- goof,
- inaccuracy,
- lapse,
- miscue,
- misstep,
- mistake,
- oversight,
- slip,
- slipup,
- stumble,
- trip
Synonyms: Verb
- blunder,
- boob
- [British],
- err,
- flub,
- fluff,
- foul up,
- fumble,
- goof (up),
- louse up,
- mess (up),
- slip up,
- stumble,
- trip
Examples of screwup in a Sentence
Noun
That was a major screwup.
She's a screwup who can't hold down a job. Verb
we all screw up from time to time, so don't sweat it
you've totally screwed up the spreadsheet
See More
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun From Adam Sandler’s turn as a Diamond District screwup in Uncut Gems to Helen Mirren’s tour de force Catherine the Great, the year’s most talked-about performances featured cameos—no pun intended—by blockbuster bling.
—
The Editors, Town & Country, "The 2020 Town & Country Jewelry Awards," 17 Jan. 2020 Elections Systems & Software took full responsibility for the screwup.
—
cleveland, "Wisconsin judge orders up to 234,000 voters purged from rolls: The Flyover," 16 Dec. 2019 Server failed, was reactivated 9 months later Syniverse acknowledged its screwup in a statement posted on its website yesterday.
—
Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, "Why more than 168,000 Valentine’s day text messages arrived in November," 8 Nov. 2019 The Raiders will rue the Carr screwup, and maybe complain that the refs and the league are out to get ‘em.
—
Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, "Junkyard dog Raiders bite themselves on the foot," 20 Oct. 2019 But, the film’s emotional stakes come not from any big plot reveal, but from the performance of Emilia Clarke as Kate, the lovable screwup at the center of the tale.
—
David Sims, The Atlantic, "Last Christmas Is a Welcome Dose of Sweetness," 6 Nov. 2019 In a screwup, the phosphorus exploded not over the target but over the men.
—
Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, "Adam Driver, the Original Man," 21 Oct. 2019 That’s the kind of screwup-trifecta that can wake a person up to this fact.
—
Carolyn Hax, The Mercury News, "Carolyn Hax: She humiliated my boyfriend in public, and I’m paying the price," 18 Sep. 2019 That's the kind of screwup-trifecta that can wake a person up to this fact.
—
Carolyn Hax, oregonlive, "Carolyn Hax: Friend needs to be called out for her bad temper," 18 Sep. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb To achieve such a feat, Simon will work against a scientific version of the tragedy of the commons—an economic theory in which each person, acting in his own best interest, screws up the whole for everyone else.
—
Jacqueline Detwiler, Popular Mechanics, "Health," 1 Feb. 2020 Or the slippery negotiations with No. 1 overall pick Brady Aiken – a scenario that screwed up the immediate future of three draftees, only to see the Astros emerge with the No.
—
Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, "As Astros empire collapses, players, executives must ponder one question: Was it worth it?," 14 Jan. 2020 After an 0-7 start, the resulting roster screwed up this objective by finishing the year with five victories.
—
Samer Kalaf, The New Republic, "The NFL Owners’ Unyielding Commitment to White Coaches," 13 Jan. 2020 That meant anyone could screw up his hunt, mistakenly or on purpose.
—
Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, "Patience and Obsession Pay Off With a 197-Inch, Non-Typical Missouri Buck," 3 Dec. 2019 After screwing up his paperwork, Yang will not appear on the March 17 Ohio primary ballot, cleveland.com’s Andrew Tobias reports.
—
cleveland, "Population estimates show Flyover states will lose influence following 2020: The Flyover," 6 Jan. 2020 Tanner Morgan and the Minnesota passing game have just enough to produce in the bad conditions, and the weather won’t help the Badgers stop screwing up.
—
Pete Fiutak, USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire, "College Football Betting Guide: 5 Best Big Game Bets - Week 14," 29 Nov. 2019 The underlying, nearly unjammable long-range technology could, however, lend itself to a lot of consumer-focused applications in the future—and the tech would do it without screwing up your Wi-Fi along the way.
—
Jim Salter, Ars Technica, "RF Chirp tech: Long distance, incredible penetration, low bandwidth," 18 Sep. 2019 That conflict is most fully expressed in the character of Jesse, who just can’t stop screwing up.
—
Emily Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "What HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones gets right about evangelicals," 19 Aug. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'screwup.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for screwup
screwup
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of screwup
informal + disapproving
: a mistake or error
: a person who often makes mistakes especially about important things : someone who often screws up
Comments on screwup
What made you want to look up screwup? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
More Confusing Words—Quiz
- The magician
______moved the selected card to the top of the deck.
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- More Confusing Words—Quiz
How many of these commonly confused words do you know?
Take the quiz - Name that Thing: Toys and Games Edition
It's all fun and games until someone beats your high score.
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Add Diction
Build a chain of words by adding one letter at a time.
Play the game
Share screwup
Time Traveler for screwup
The first known use of screwup was in 1625
See more words from the same year