1
as in mistake
an unintentional departure from truth or accuracy
clearly, there's been some sort of screwup about what time we were supposed to meet
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to fumble
to make a mistake
we all screw up from time to time, so don't sweat it
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to blow
to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way
you've totally screwed up the spreadsheet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of screwup
Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Vince is the screwup, a mostly-former drug and gambling addict, while Jake is a successful restaurateur, running the eponymous club/restaurant Black Rabbit in Manhattan.
—Andrew Bernard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 May 2026
But what really screws up Julia are the deliveries.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for screwup
Noun
But the screwups don’t end there.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Vince is the screwup, a mostly-former drug and gambling addict, while Jake is a successful restaurateur, running the eponymous club/restaurant Black Rabbit in Manhattan.
—Andrew Bernard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
One of the puzzles was constructing a dance that was simple enough to believe anyone could do it, yet tricky enough for DJ to screw up in multiple ways.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 May 2026
But what really screws up Julia are the deliveries.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for screwup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwup
Noun
-
Wrobleski made even fewer mistakes.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
In many games, her assists and offensive prowess create positives that can arguably offset her mistakes.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Somewhere a hand was raised, a whistle was blown, and all at once the butchers were out of their stalls, assembling in the aisles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
The cruel bear Croconok and the man with the butcher’s knife also appeared at the corner of Rue Salengro.—
Annie Ernaux,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Given how badly Karen Bass has fumbled as mayor, Raman couldn’t do much worse.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
-
Ethan Bonner forced Dulcich to fumble, and rookie linebacker Trey Moore recovered it for the defense.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Somewhere a hand was raised, a whistle was blown, and all at once the butchers were out of their stalls, assembling in the aisles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
The Washington Nationals used Richard Lovelady, who blew Monday’s series opener, as an opener, followed by veteran Miles Mikolas for a bulk appearance, their most promising combination given their roster construction and arms available.—
Danielle Allentuck,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The Phillies got some help in the eighth inning on a baserunning blunder by Fernando Tatis, on first base with two outs after his third hit of the game.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
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Adell misplayed a flyball into a bizarre home run off his head Tuesday, a fielding blunder reminiscent of José Canseco's embarrassing gaffe 33 years ago with the Texas Rangers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The first robot stumbles on aluminum debris, its wheels furiously trying to get traction and move around the obstacle.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Traveling even to a different Strip hotel could be bewildering, so tourists worn out by a day of wandering, people-watching and drinking didn’t seem to mind mediocre restaurants, content to stumble off to bed after a few turns at the tables.—
Winston Ross,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Our house, ruined by the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, was rebuilt from the foundation up.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
-
Undefeated this season on clay, the 15th-seeded Ukrainian player reached the quarterfinals at the French Open for the first time on Sunday by taking out four-time champion Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-1 and ruining her birthday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Santos, whose political rise and fall was characterized by a notorious trail of lies and falsehoods, claimed my story was riddled with errors.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
4 June 2026
-
The other Philadelphia runs scored on a throwing error by San Diego reliever Yuki Matsui on a pickoff attempt and a fielder's choice by Brandon Marsh.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screwup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwup. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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