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
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Recent Examples of screw
Center lids on jars and screw bands fingertip tight (just until resistance is met).
—
Kelly Brant, Arkansas Online, 12 May 2026
Put the stopper back in the sink before re-screwing the pivot nut, horizontal rod, and sliding your under sink items back into place.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 8 May 2026
Finally, the professional will install hangers to reinforce your gutters before screwing the mesh guard on top.
—Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 4 May 2026
And to screw your head onto any of it was really impossible to do.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2026
If Miranda Priestly can get thrown in steerage, we’re all screwed.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
But that doesn’t mean working people aren’t getting screwed.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
Hunt noted that there was an air conditioner screwed into the window.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Mechanics across the continent screwed, hammered and welded Sheila to keep her together, sometimes shaking their heads at the madness of it all.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Kelly Brant, Arkansas Online, 12 May 2026
Put the stopper back in the sink before re-screwing the pivot nut, horizontal rod, and sliding your under sink items back into place.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 8 May 2026
Finally, the professional will install hangers to reinforce your gutters before screwing the mesh guard on top.
—Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 4 May 2026
And to screw your head onto any of it was really impossible to do.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2026
If Miranda Priestly can get thrown in steerage, we’re all screwed.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
But that doesn’t mean working people aren’t getting screwed.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026
Hunt noted that there was an air conditioner screwed into the window.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Mechanics across the continent screwed, hammered and welded Sheila to keep her together, sometimes shaking their heads at the madness of it all.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screw
Verb
-
The body does not care about your percentile ranking when the anatomy is distorted, the bleeding starts, and the room becomes quiet.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
-
Employers know—or should know—that personal relationships can distort workplace decision making, even when no one intends them to.—
William Phillips,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
On the Right, Israel is being squeezed by a smaller faction of the Make America Great Again movement that wants to pare back all American foreign aid.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
16 May 2026
-
Gas prices are continuing to squeeze drivers at the pump.—
Claire Malon,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
When subjected to stress, the sponge-like matrix allows the material to deform predictably and absorb vast amounts of kinetic energy rather than snap.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
19 May 2026
-
Bathed in sunlight, deformed by the wide angle shot, there was our living room.—
Francesco Pacifico,
The Dial,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
But a subtler disruption is occurring underneath the cheating concerns and efficiency metrics.—
Shannon McKeen,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Saints tried to cheat to get the win, but referee Charles Robinson caught him and stopped his count.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Search the internet and there are coaches and players spotted sniffing the ammonia inhalants before a game, with their instant reactions — a noticeable head jerk or contorted face — going viral.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
For more serious cavers who are at least 16 years old, this summer-only, four-hour tour requires crawling, climbing, and contorting.—
Robert Annis,
Midwest Living,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
There’s no foraging, no organic garden to pluck basil and chili peppers from, no local butchery next door…and if there isn’t enough food flown in to account for multi-day weather delays?—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
-
The aftermath of one of Otto’s decisions gives Beever as Léna some rich material to work through, but strands Machado-Graner to an extent, including in a short subplot that feels like it was plucked from an entirely different screenplay.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Bachman retired the side in order in the eighth, but Kirby Yates couldn’t convert his first save opportunity for the Angels, as McNeil led off the ninth by curling his second homer inside the right-field foul pole, tying the score at 5.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2026
-
There is a cocker spaniel, rented for the day, curled beside him.—
Maneet Ahuja,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
But technique isn’t where most writers get stuck.—
David O’Neill,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
-
Connections formed to maintain group cohesion, but also broke apart when necessary to avoid getting stuck.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screw. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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