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
Relevance
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
Andrew Bernard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
Travis is a well-meaning screwup who comes from a family of cops but can’t get a place on the police force.
—Robert Lloyd, Boston Herald, 7 Aug. 2025
Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
The meal was burritos, which, Levy explained, are hard to screw up.
—Jane Bua, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for screwup
Noun
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
Travis is a well-meaning screwup who comes from a family of cops but can’t get a place on the police force.
—Robert Lloyd, Boston Herald, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
Kid Rock‘s lip-synch was screwed up.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
The meal was burritos, which, Levy explained, are hard to screw up.
—Jane Bua, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for screwup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwup
Noun
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The back line — still reeling from the departure of center back Adilson Malanda this offseason — shored up its mistakes and stood tall.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The third mistake involves process.—
Allen Buchanan,
Oc Register,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
It was founded in 1856 by French butcher Guillaume Tujague who immigrated to the United States with his wife Marie Abadie.—
Stephanie Gallman Jordan,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
-
From century-old butcher counters to modern beer halls and beloved neighborhood bars, every kitchen puts its own spin on this comfort-food icon — and every Iowan has an opinion about who does it best.—
Susan Stapleton,
Des Moines Register,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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If the creditor fumbles the process, then an otherwise valid and collectible debt may be barred.—
Virginia Hammerle,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Since the first release in December, critics have accused the administration of fumbling the rollout and withholding too many documents.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wind shear, which occurs when winds blow at different speeds and/or directions with height, acts as an impediment to fledgling tropical storms and hurricanes.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
10 Mar. 2026
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There's also a short clip of Cyrus onstage as Hannah with a band, blowing a kiss to a crowd as confetti falls around her.—
Mary Pat Thompson,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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With Israel’s borderlands in ruins and hundreds of its citizens taken hostage, the country’s voters could no longer countenance their leader’s quietism, which now looked like a historic blunder.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
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In the experiments, observers consistently judged everyday blunders to be relatively harmless, even when the person committing them appeared mortified.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Spotting this superconducting dome is often a sign that researchers have stumbled onto the right ingredients for high-temperature superconductivity.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The man then tripped, stumbling to the ground.—
Andrew Adeolu,
CBS News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
People suffer and the country becomes ruined.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Anti-Chafe Stick With sweaty bodies and lots of walking often comes chafing, something that can ruin a day in a theme park faster than a thunderstorm.—
Terri Peters,
Parents,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While minimally invasive procedures have improved cardiac care, the heart’s complex anatomy and constant motion require rigorous hands-on training to reduce procedural errors.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
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Keller said the key for students is learning which AI models fit which tasks, how to write useful prompts and how to check results for errors.—
Wilborn P. Nobles III,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screwup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwup. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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