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
They are typically screwed into the snow and often cemented in by water that turns to ice.
—
Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Everyone is kind of trying to screw each other over.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2026
Smaller version of the quakes at home Think of a plastic water bottle filled to the rim with the cap firmly screwed on.
—Tammie Souza, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Was Tony Kiritsis really screwed out of a legitimate business deal?
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
Nevertheless, on a clear if cold day the three walked through several inches of snow, screwing in the new signs.
—Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Were you all screwed by not having anyone in the turret to help protect you?
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Basically, our government helped the rich get richer while working families got screwed.
—Ana María Archila, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2026
Add the ground coffee to the funnel filter and screw on the top chamber.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 24 Jan. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Everyone is kind of trying to screw each other over.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 15 Feb. 2026
Smaller version of the quakes at home Think of a plastic water bottle filled to the rim with the cap firmly screwed on.
—Tammie Souza, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Was Tony Kiritsis really screwed out of a legitimate business deal?
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026
Nevertheless, on a clear if cold day the three walked through several inches of snow, screwing in the new signs.
—Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Were you all screwed by not having anyone in the turret to help protect you?
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
Basically, our government helped the rich get richer while working families got screwed.
—Ana María Archila, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2026
Add the ground coffee to the funnel filter and screw on the top chamber.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screw
Verb
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This concentration distorts markets, raises costs for families, threatens national security, and removes decisions from Texans’ hands.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Since his return to office in 2025, this firehose of lies has only accelerated, distorting everything from economic data to constitutional law.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Its basic ingredients include tequila, lime juice (ideally freshly squeezed), orange liqueur like triple sec, and usually salt on the rim.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
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Many are no doubt operating with the salary-cap space required to squeeze an extension for McDuffie into their budget.—
Sam McDowell
February 20,
Kansas City Star,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Going to space is harsh on the human body, and as a new study from our research team finds, the brain shifts upward and backward and deforms inside the skull after spaceflight.—
Rachael Seidler,
The Conversation,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Hadi tells an engaging story, brings complex and surprising characters to life, lends a locale an aesthetic iconography, and renders personal identity inextricable from the forces of history that shaped or deformed it.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Educational institutions signed contracts with AI detection companies such as GPTZero, ZeroGPT and Turnitin to deter students from cheating and adopted AI policies.—
Liz Shulman,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
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Meanwhile, our friends to the North seem to be in need of a timeout after cheating allegations.—
John Cherwa,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For the entire 15-minute show, they’ve been contorted into pieces of furniture Lawson fabricated, pieces befitting something between an asylum and BDSM dungeon, and reminiscent of Allen Jones’s 1960s Pop sculpture series, which depicts fiberglass women in fetishware as home objects.—
Anna Peele,
Vanity Fair,
6 Feb. 2026
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But film and television stars lately have been contorting themselves to say less.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pet vacuums, for example, have bristles and brush rolls that pluck and pull hair up from carpets.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The Angel Hold Hair Styling Cream gives expensive-looking waves and smooth, frizz-free hair that looks like you just got plucked up from a Greek vacation.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Vinicius Jr received a pass from team-mate Kylian Mbappe, dribbled away from Benfica right-back Amar Dedic and curled a superb right-footed shot into the far top corner of the goal.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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The Olympic curling committee intervened after a heated row on the ice sparked by Sweden's curling team accusing their Canadian opponents of cheating during a matchup on Friday.—
Seth Doane,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Galatasaray stun Juve, Balogun’s double Elsewhere in the play-offs on Tuesday, the shock result of the night came from Turkey, where Galatasaray stuck five past Juventus in a 5-2 victory that must count as one of the most memorable in their modern history.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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If, on the other hand, cells were much more crowded, molecules would be stuck in place, unable to move much at all, let alone come across their reaction partners.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screw. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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