screw

verb

Definition of screwnext
1
as in to distort
to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition screwed up his face at the taste of the medicine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to squeeze
to rob by the use of trickery or threats managed to screw his siblings out of their share of the inheritance

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of screw Because we've been screwed by tariffs used against us for years. — Tiago Ventura, Time, 6 Aug. 2026 The strength would be identical even though the four 2x6s are not glued or screwed together. — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026 Shanghai Electric also displayed several core robotic components, including a planetary roller screw that the company says can handle more than three times the load of conventional ball screws. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026 One was the idea that England were part of an establishment who tried to screw them over in 1966. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for screw
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screw
  1. distort
  2. squeeze
  3. deform
  4. cheat
  5. contort
  6. pluck
  7. curl
  8. stick
Verb
  • This can, in turn, distort their expectations of real relationships.
    — Megan Kelly, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The layer can distort incoming starlight before sensors can process it.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of distort
Verb
  • Cheap electric cars dominate one end of the market, Tesla occupies the premium end, and the middle is getting squeezed.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Washington is trying to choke Iran's ability to get its crude out while Tehran is squeezing the artery through which everybody else's crude gets through.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • The liquid metal provides an electrical pathway that can deform with the surrounding rubber-like material instead of snapping when the skin bends or stretches.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2026
  • How are prices set, and how do those prices avoid reproducing the procedural bias already deforming American medicine?
    — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of deform
Verb
  • Not to be cheated in front of the largest assembly of Hall of Famers since the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, Schwarber flew out twice to deep center field.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Princeton University dropped its over century-old Honor Code tradition which let students take their exams without supervision, after an AI cheating scandal rattled the Ivy League institution.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheat
Verb
  • Human figures are often seen in floating, dynamic, and contorted positions, potentially engaging in shamanic journeys or ritualistic collective dances.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Yan jumped up — way up — into the air, contorting his legs into somewhat of a split.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of contort
Verb
  • Doubs plucked the ball over Gonzalez, who had successfully backed him near the boundary but couldn’t box out the 6-foot-2 receiver entirely.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2026
  • This machine will actually press the strings down between frets and pluck those strings in time, like a human guitarist.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • Deyna Castellanos gave Portland the lead in the 58th minute with a curling shot from a tight angle.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • But in the first swing of the match, Nakashima botched his first serve, and on his second, Shelton sent a booming 97 mph lefty forehand down the line that curled into the court to earn the break.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of curl
Verb
  • At the time, Valli’s rep told Variety in a statement that the musician decided to cancel the shows instead of rescheduling them so that his fans with tickets would not be stuck in limbo.
    — Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Stickers are stuck in the wrong spot, Trevor Etienne gets put on the board when it was meant to be his brother Travis, and owners look frantically for a Stefon Diggs or Keenan Allen sticker that doesn’t exist in the pack.
    — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of stick

Phrases Containing screw

Browse Nearby Words

screenwriters
screw
screw around
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Cite this Entry

“Screw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screw. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on screw

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about screw

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