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
Basically, our government helped the rich get richer while working families got screwed.
—
Ana María Archila, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2026
There are other complications, of course — typical Marvel stuff — but even without them, Simon is still screwed.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2026
Add the ground coffee to the funnel filter and screw on the top chamber.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 24 Jan. 2026
That doesn’t mean you’re screwed if your job is highly repetitive.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 23 Jan. 2026
In the last few years, Scandinavia has become the global center for all manner of uncanny cloud rock and ambient pop wonder, from the dreamy Danes to screw-pop savants like Smerz.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2026
Bland policy proposals without a narrative explaining who is getting screwed and who is doing the screwing will not work.
—ABC News, 18 Jan. 2026
Got screwed when the referee missed an obvious blow to the head that gave the Pats a field goal.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
And apparently early exposure to Tarantino didn’t screw him up.
—Lz Granderson, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
Ana María Archila, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2026
There are other complications, of course — typical Marvel stuff — but even without them, Simon is still screwed.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2026
Add the ground coffee to the funnel filter and screw on the top chamber.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 24 Jan. 2026
That doesn’t mean you’re screwed if your job is highly repetitive.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 23 Jan. 2026
In the last few years, Scandinavia has become the global center for all manner of uncanny cloud rock and ambient pop wonder, from the dreamy Danes to screw-pop savants like Smerz.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 22 Jan. 2026
Bland policy proposals without a narrative explaining who is getting screwed and who is doing the screwing will not work.
—ABC News, 18 Jan. 2026
Got screwed when the referee missed an obvious blow to the head that gave the Pats a field goal.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
And apparently early exposure to Tarantino didn’t screw him up.
—Lz Granderson, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screw
Verb
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Likewise, Guy Wolf, global head of market analytics at global financial services platform Marex, signaled that the price action in parts of the precious-metals complex has become increasingly distorted.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
-
For years, social networks have been plagued by bot accounts which typically mimic human engagement to do things like pump cryptocurrency prices or distort public perception through amplifying hate speech.—
Anna Tong,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Pull upward, squeezing the lat muscle in your upper back at the top.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Pour salt onto the stain, then squeeze lemon juice over top.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Conventional drones hit their limits at around 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) as their frame deforms and electronics fail.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
-
American bases built inside the ice sheet, such as Camp Century, were quickly crushed as the encasing snow deformed.—
Paul Bierman,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Celia Arguerro, who also has a handicap parking permit, is tired of waiting for reform to catch people cheating the system.—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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He likely already would have been inducted were in not for his part in the Astros’ ugly cheating scandal in 2017.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In 2025, there was the Owl Arm Trend, in which Gen Z TikTokers contorted their bodies (and stretched their T-shirts) to mimic the shape of a perching owl, clinging to their friend’s arm.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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An inventive, self-reflexive director, necessity has forced Panahi to stretch the boundaries of film and contort it into new forms.—
Thomas Page,
CNN Money,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Guests are invited to become part of the journey — kneading bread, baking cookies, gathering fresh eggs, or plucking herbs for cocktails — while learning how regenerative farming nurtures both flavor and sustainability.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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Healthy cells that still have their MGMT gene intact will simply pluck the methyl group back off.—
Isabella Backman,
Hartford Courant,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In a departure from past practice, some competitions, notably curling and ice hockey, will begin preliminary rounds on February 4 and 5, in advance of the official opening ceremony, due to the tight schedule.—
Sam Leveridge,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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On the wintry end of things, curling returned as a medal event, after a 74-year hiatus, at the 1998 Nagano Games, which also marked the debut of snowboarding.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Twin looked down the rare building alleys, stuck her hand in sandboxes, found combs with missing teeth, unopened letters from Child Services.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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Rather than feeling stuck between silence and overstatement, the most effective leaders are taking a more intentional approach.—
Teresa Hopke,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screw. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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