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
The necessary tools — screw guns, saws, hammers — aren’t easy to come by in San Quentin, California’s oldest prison; the lockup has a long history of violence, gang wars, executions and murder.
—
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Food-grade plastic containers that have screw caps, such as 2-liter soda bottles, are best.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2026
Anybody who has too long a résumé is screwed.
—Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 21 May 2026
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
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Food-grade plastic containers that have screw caps, such as 2-liter soda bottles, are best.
—Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2026
Anybody who has too long a résumé is screwed.
—Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 21 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screw
Verb
-
Mercury’s clash with Neptune distorts the reality of a situation.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
The mold shapes itself into a tall biped that resembles a stick figure or distorted skeleton.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Freddie Freeman squeezed one inside the left-field foul pole in the first inning, his fourth home run in nine games (after hitting just one in the previous 35 games).—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
The bedroom is now its own separate space—one that Konieczny managed to squeeze more custom storage inside—and despite having to move the shower and toilet, the bathroom is much more functional as well.—
Nicolas Milon,
Architectural Digest,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
When oil wells are shut in, the pressure underground can become imbalanced, deforming the underlying structure.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
27 May 2026
-
The team demonstrated this by printing soft lattices and wavy filaments that deform in dramatically different ways under heat.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Though Lesnar rarely cheats to win, Femi isn’t going to lose clean.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Greg de la Garza, Miami The Republican Party of Florida is cheating and getting away with it.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
30 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
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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
-
Whatever is plucked from the vegetable patch that day appears on the menu, accompanied by dangerously tasty sourdough, fermented using the appley waste from the cider production.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Decisive to their survival was the no-name midfielder Sabatini plucked out of Brazil.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
French defender Benjamin Pavard struck a perfect outside-of-the-foot diagonal half-volley from the edge of the penalty area, and the ball curled past the diving goalkeeper into the far corner of the net.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
3 June 2026
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Another indicator of ripeness is the tendril (the curling bit of vine), which will turn dry and brown when the melon is ready to harvest.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
The documents include a guide on how to create stencils for graffiti and another on how and where to place large posters advertising the group, including instructions on how to mix flour and water to create wheat paste to stick the posters up.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
The suspect sped through the 10 Freeway eastbound at around 100 mph while sticking close to the center divider.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screw. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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