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
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 Aug. 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
Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
In a world of near-constant conference realignment and the transfer portal, the annual Red River Rivalry game at the State Fair of Texas is one of the few things the sport hasn’t screwed up.
—Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwup
Noun
In a precedent for a larger screwup later, Jess gets a mini-earful from Kerry for taking too long to update him on the chains during the anchoring process.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 26 Aug. 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
Managers can either screw up or screw up slightly less than the other guy.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
In a world of near-constant conference realignment and the transfer portal, the annual Red River Rivalry game at the State Fair of Texas is one of the few things the sport hasn’t screwed up.
—Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for screwup
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwup
Noun
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While rebounding kept the Horned Frogs in the game early, the offense finally picked up until the mistakes piled up down the stretch.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
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Let’s look back on 2025 fantasy misses to look forward and avoid making the signature mistake of each whiff come the 2026 draft season.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In 1872, Campbell represented a group of white New Orleans butchers who claimed that efforts by Louisiana’s Reconstruction legislature to regulate their industry violated their Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendment rights.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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Marrow in Market will produce various raw meat cuts from its full-service butcher shop and specialty items.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ball security The Hurricanes have fumbled the ball four times in the past two games and lost two of them — one apiece by Malachi Toney (first round against Texas A&M) and Fletcher (quarterfinal against Ohio State).—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
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Herbert, who threw four interceptions in his last postseason appearance, fumbled five times after only coughing up the ball twice in his first 12 games this season.—
Greg Dudek,
Boston Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Straight line winds can blow down trees, power lines, and damage mobile homes and other buildings.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Nov. 2025
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The Buffalo Bills were left stunned in Miami on Sunday afternoon as the Dolphins blew them out 30-13 in a crucial AFC East rivalry game.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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But when her latest husband, discord spirit Raksh, provokes the council’s wrath, Amina must clean up his blunder, contend with Marjana’s demands for the truth…and figure out who on her crew is plotting a mutiny.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Jan. 2026
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Williamson County based Ramsey Solutions has also come up with an effective guide to avoid any regifting blunders.—
Gabrielle Chenault,
Nashville Tennessean,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Although the discovery has only now been formally studied, cavers from the Czech Speleological Society first stumbled upon the phenomenon in 2022 during an expedition in Vromoner Canyon.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Uber reported strong growth in its third-quarter earnings report on Wednesday, but stumbled on the bottom line after absorbing a $479 million charge for what the company described as undisclosed legal and regulatory matters.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And, from this week’s issue, Nicola Twilley’s reporting on another lingering effect of the wildfires—smoke taint that is ruining grapes and threatening California’s wine industry.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
-
This will either change your life or ruin you.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That does leave retailers less margin for error and requires a better mastery of data analytics to improve demand forecasting—making sure that what is on offer matches what shoppers want.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
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Kelly did not disclose what structural engineering issues the building had, but said that the company's structural engineering firm informed Amazon of its error in a statement without elaborating.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Screwup.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwup. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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