screwup

noun screw·up \ ˈskrü-ˌəp \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of screwup

1 : one who screws up

2 : botch, blunder

See screwup defined for English-language learners

See screwup defined for kids

Examples of screwup in a Sentence

That was a major screwup.
She's a screwup who can't hold down a job.

Recent Examples of screwup from the Web

Irgo never expressed any desire to see Japan, but the 10-year-old German Shepard found himself on an unexpected flight from Denver to the Tokyo area thanks to a United Airlines screwup Tuesday.

— andrew theen, OregonLive.com, "From Salem to Denver to Japan: A dog's unplanned journey to the Far East thanks to United Airlines," 14 Mar. 2018
Even the president is said to have worried about the beating the young pair, especially his beloved daughter, have taken in the press for their screwups and failures.

— the editors of gq, GQ, "The 50 Most Powerful People In Trump’s Washington*," 22 Feb. 2018
Well, a lot of things: more positive attitudes about the GOP tax bill (which Democrats never stopped attacking); more economic optimism; and a stretch of time when President Trump didn’t dominate the news with some fresh hellish screwup.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Is Democratic Cooperation With Trump Depressing Supporters?," 11 Feb. 2018
There have been screwups on the field, questionable decisions from the managers, the usual foibles that have critics pointing the fingers of blame.

— bruce jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, "It’s Game 7, as it should be, in the World Series," 31 Oct. 2017
In the end, a diluted version of the government screwup that took Barb's (Shannon Purser) life is exposed, catapulting Hawkins into the national spotlight.

— ashley hoffman, Time, "Stranger Things," 27 Oct. 2017
Miazga meanders in his analysis but his takeaway is simple enough: both Byrnes and Legg were screwups.

— justin nobel, Longreads, "Atomic City," 5 Sep. 2017
The whole thing was filmed in one session, screwups and all.

— elise taylor, Vogue, "5 Fascinating Things You Didn’t Know About Julia Child, America’s Most Beloved Chef," 15 Aug. 2017
On Oscar night, in the first moments after the biggest screwup in Academy Awards history, the two women who run the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rose from their seats in the Dolby Theater and headed in opposite directions.

— rebecca keegan, HWD, "The Academy Is at a Crossroads in the Wake of the Best Picture Fiasco," 29 Mar. 2017

These 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.

First Known Use of screwup

1844

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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screwup Synonyms

Synonyms

blunder, bobble, boo-boo, brick, clinker, error, fault, flub, fluff, fumble, gaff, gaffe, goof, inaccuracy, lapse, miscue, misstep, mistake, oversight, slip, slipup, stumble, trip;

Near Antonyms

accuracy, correctness, exactitude, exactness, preciseness, precision, strictness;

inerrancy, infallibility, perfection;

foul-up, snafu;

misapprehension, miscalculation, miscomprehension, misconception, misconstruction, miscue, misdescription, misimpression, misinterpretation, misjudgment, misreading, misstatement, misunderstanding;

screw up

verb

Definition of screw up

transitive verb

1 : to tighten, fasten, or lock by or as if by a screw

2 a : bungle, botch

b : to cause to act or function in a crazy or confused way : confound, disturb

intransitive verb

: to botch an activity or undertaking

See screw up defined for kids

Examples of screw up in a Sentence

we all screw up from time to time, so don't sweat it
you've totally screwed up the spreadsheet

Recent Examples of screw up from the Web

Please, Louisville, don't screw up this sweet deal with Bill Murray Mack, who was announced as Louisville's head coach this past Wednesday, brought Luke Murray and Mike Pegues with him from Xavier.

— jeff greer, The Courier-Journal, "Dino Gaudio emerges as serious contender to be third assistant for Chris Mack," 3 Apr. 2018
But adding another safety in an era where that position is being discounted tells all about how the Dolphins keep screwing up.

— dave hyde, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Hyde5: Why Dolphins' model is so wrong they need Derwin James," 29 Mar. 2018
In each and every case, the company in question screwed up the initial response—and that, rather than the severity of the event itself, was what made the event a crisis.

— james f. haggerty, Fortune, "Commentary: How Facebook’s Response Ignited the Cambridge Analytica Scandal," 27 Mar. 2018
And, oh boy, did that last initiative get screwed up.

— jonathan m. gitlin, Ars Technica, "ESPN is very sorry for the car wreck that was its first Formula 1 broadcast," 26 Mar. 2018
The White House screwed up the titles of foreign leaders and their countries.

— david nakamura, Washington Post, "‘Elected to lead, not to proofread’: Typos, spelling mistakes are commonplace in Trump’s White House," 21 Mar. 2018
Whiff on the sixth overall selection, and the Colts screwed up.

— gregg doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: Chris Ballard cashes in on trade, now must make it pay off in NFL draft," 17 Mar. 2018
How will injuries screw up this year's All-NBA ballots?

— ben golliver, SI.com, "The All-NBA Debates: Who Deserves to Make the Cut?," 16 Mar. 2018
Anyone who has ever royally screwed up a cooking endeavor (who hasn’t?) needs to watch this show.

— olivia harrison, refinery29.com, "Netflix's Nailed It Is A Cooking Competition Show Like You've Never Seen," 13 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'screw up.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.