screwup
noun
\
screw up
verbDefinition 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, brick, clinker, error, fault, flub, fluff, fumble, gaff, gaffe, goof, inaccuracy, lapse, miscue, misstep, mistake, oversight, slip, slipup, stumble, trip
Synonyms: Verb
blow, bobble, boggle, bollix (up), boot, botch, bumble, bungle, butcher, dub, flub, fluff, foozle, foul up, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mangle, mess (up), muck up, muff, murder
Visit the Thesaurus for More
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
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The project—and tight-fisted Congress—probably can't handle more cleaning solvent screwups. — Eric Niiler, WIRED, "Delays, Rising Costs Plague NASA's James Webb Space Telescope," 27 June 2018 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. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Even though the Bundy story is woven from lies and mistruths, there are plenty of moments where the government really has screwed up — playing directly into the hands of the Bundy clan. — Leah Sottile, Longreads, "Bundyville Chapter Four: The Gospel of Bundy," 18 May 2018 Adding an unexpected flourish to a classic dish without screwing up its essential nature is hard, says Danny Grant, executive chef at Maple & Ash (8 W. Maple St.). — Nick Kindelsperger, chicagotribune.com, "Long live the wedge salad, America's silliest salad," 21 June 2018 No one dies on a golf course (Tony Finau’s ankle aside) but, like in climbing, the margin for error is sometimes as wafer-thin as a Monty Python after-dinner mint and the results of screwing up almost as calamitous. — Brian Koppelman, SI.com, "Appreciating the Lonely Determination of the Modern Golfer," 5 Apr. 2018 It almost got screwed up with the Whiskey Rebellion. — Recode Staff, Recode, "Full transcript: Former NSA and CIA director General Michael Hayden on Recode Decode," 19 June 2018 Everyone is good-looking and clever, and the characters are all screwed up and enjoyable in their own ways. — Andrew Sharp, SI.com, "Kevin Durant Won't Leave the Warriors, But Maybe He Should," 8 June 2018 That means Americans will have no choice but to take these corporations at their word—and if anyone screws up, there will be little recourse outside Europe. — Robert Hackett, Fortune, "Cyber Saturday—We've Updated Our Privacy Polic—Kidding!," 26 May 2018 What Happened: Did the FBI screw up the election, and if so, for which side? — Graeme Mcmillan, WIRED, "While You Were Offline: So What Did Trump and Kim Jong-Un Agree on Anyway?," 17 June 2018 Though the odds of them screwing up the Best Picture announcement two years in a row are extremely slim, there are still a lot of reasons to watch the 2018 Oscars. — Matt Miller, Esquire, "There Are a Few Good Reasons to Watch the 2018 Oscars," 14 Feb. 2018These 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
noun
English Language Learners Definition of screwup
: 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
Musical Words Quiz
-
- Which word describes a musical performance marked by the absence of instrumental accompaniment?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share screwup
Resources for screwup