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 To Knight, he has been screwed out of those opportunities thanks to The Bloodline – Reigns’ faction of family members who have had his back through thick and thin. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026 Who would come correct with a bitchy, sassy, screw-all-y’all response, and who would play it safe with a mild-mannered send-off? — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2026 Sometimes a lid isn’t screwed tightly, and your foundation proves its worth all over the inside of your bag. — Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2026 Julian is played with winning charm by Daniel Ings in a role that stretches him from his usual parts, like the buffoonish screw-up brother in the series The Gentlemen. — Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 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
  • In a recent opinion piece for The Hollywood Reporter, filmmaker Joseph Kahn accused festival programmers of allowing horror’s commercial appeal to distort their artistic priorities.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The order and accompanying legislation must be designed so that collecting and disseminating foreign trade secrets advances defense and intelligence priorities and does not unduly distort the free market.
    — DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of distort
Verb
  • But in recent years, the shows have become money losers and the network TV business — faced with a decline in viewers that is squeezing profits — are cutting them loose.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • However, rising costs for housing, food, fuel and insurance coupled with cooling employment rends and the lowest consumer sentiment in a decade is squeezing discretionary spending.
    — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of squeeze
Verb
  • The two valves must then pass one another midway through their strokes, briefly deforming to squeeze past each other before resuming their pumping roles.
    — Mike McRae October 12, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Moving and deforming ice produces substantial underwater noise.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of deform
Verb
  • In taking that gamble, the authors cheated fans and missed an opportunity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • How successful the gerrymandering actually was remains to be seen — Republicans are polling poorly in the Lone Star State, perhaps in part because of their blatant attempt to cheat voters out of their voices.
    — The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheat
Verb
  • Lazzarini’s nine artworks on display, curated by John Ravenal, are convoluted and contorted, distorted into impossible shapes that challenge perception.
    — Kim Córdova, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • But somehow, Chase contorted his body, located the ball, snagged it out of the air, and kept both feet in the end zone for one of the best touchdown grabs of the season thus far.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of contort
Verb
  • The original number was 28,800, but Carolina Herrera designer Wes Gordon’s two children plucked a tulip each to take with them.
    — Max Berlinger, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Four years later Fontaine plucked another future Hall of Famer, taking outfielder Tony Gwynn in the third round.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of pluck
Verb
  • The hypnotizing corduroy stripes of curling blue waves visible from the resort’s expansive green clifftop lawn en route to a private staircase that leads straight to the surf—and a guest-only beach deck, too.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Similarly, Helene made landfall two years ago on the Florida Gulf Coast before curling to the west near the mountains, but far less rain is expected with Isaias, forecasters said.
    — Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of curl
Verb
  • As such, the greatest obstacle to genuine transformation is getting stuck in the planning cycle.
    — Jeff DeGraff, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Chatten’s narrators are stuck in a perpetual apartness—desperate for safety and connection, but repeatedly failing to find it.
    — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 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 18 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on screw

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about screw

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