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
New Atlas, 26 Mar. 2026
Heat pump installer Richard Wilkins from Lotus Energy, screws in pipes to a Vaillant aroTHERM plus heat pump, that is being installed in a residential property in Farnham, Surrey, southwest of London, on June 2, 2025.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Sensing the momentum Lendeborg created, coach Dusty May immediately applied the screws by pressuring Saint Louis coming up the court and suffocating any last gasp of a comeback.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Yet, the prankish tone keeps Grace from having much of a personality, other than a rebellious screw this.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
At the same time, the feds are putting the screws on the Illinois Department of Transportation, which has some oversight authority over the CTA’s rail system.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Pool chemicals, sunlight and wear can weaken the plastic and screws that secure them.
—Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Oftentimes, these frames are built using Japanese joinery, which means no nails, screws, or glue are included in the frame assembly.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 16 Mar. 2026
Though with 18 screws, removing the battery is still not the simplest task.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 15 Mar. 2026
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
To make a profit from their business, American companies sent their manufacturing facilities overseas, screwing American workers by incurring smaller labor costs, therefore profiting rich investors who never had to work for it and used their money to make more money off the American consumer.
—Jay Reddick, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2026
All the setup required was screwing in the legs.
—Noah Kaufman, Architectural Digest, 7 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.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Each inlay removes via two tiny screws and readily swaps with alternatives.
—New Atlas, 26 Mar. 2026
Heat pump installer Richard Wilkins from Lotus Energy, screws in pipes to a Vaillant aroTHERM plus heat pump, that is being installed in a residential property in Farnham, Surrey, southwest of London, on June 2, 2025.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
Sensing the momentum Lendeborg created, coach Dusty May immediately applied the screws by pressuring Saint Louis coming up the court and suffocating any last gasp of a comeback.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
Yet, the prankish tone keeps Grace from having much of a personality, other than a rebellious screw this.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
At the same time, the feds are putting the screws on the Illinois Department of Transportation, which has some oversight authority over the CTA’s rail system.
—Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Pool chemicals, sunlight and wear can weaken the plastic and screws that secure them.
—Meghan Schiller, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Oftentimes, these frames are built using Japanese joinery, which means no nails, screws, or glue are included in the frame assembly.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 16 Mar. 2026
Though with 18 screws, removing the battery is still not the simplest task.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
To make a profit from their business, American companies sent their manufacturing facilities overseas, screwing American workers by incurring smaller labor costs, therefore profiting rich investors who never had to work for it and used their money to make more money off the American consumer.
—Jay Reddick, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2026
All the setup required was screwing in the legs.
—Noah Kaufman, Architectural Digest, 7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/screw. Accessed 1 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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