1
as in distorted
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheated
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of screwed
Semi-screwed There’s a world in which Colby was the most screwed over by the rock draw — because Dee and Emily are friends who already played together, and both were aligned with Cirie — but that world is one in which he was not injured and likely limping out of the game anyway.
—
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
A lot of times, much of a Hollywood memoir is someone saying this person screwed me over, this bad thing happened, and so on.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Harper is thrilled, Whitney is screwed.
—Meg Walters, Glamour, 2 Mar. 2026
If a healthy player sits, the millionaires are fine and the fans get screwed.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
They are typically screwed into the snow and often cemented in by water that turns to ice.
—Los Angeles Times, 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
Basically, our government helped the rich get richer while working families got screwed.
—Ana María Archila, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2026
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Apr. 2026
A lot of times, much of a Hollywood memoir is someone saying this person screwed me over, this bad thing happened, and so on.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Harper is thrilled, Whitney is screwed.
—Meg Walters, Glamour, 2 Mar. 2026
If a healthy player sits, the millionaires are fine and the fans get screwed.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
They are typically screwed into the snow and often cemented in by water that turns to ice.
—Los Angeles Times, 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
Basically, our government helped the rich get richer while working families got screwed.
—Ana María Archila, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwed
Verb
-
However, when that perception becomes distorted, things can easily slip through the cracks.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The woman’s expression, painted in different shades of gray, is intentionally distorted in Picasso’s signature Cubist style.—
Jake McGowan,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Schiller is a man who cheated death and whose harrowing ordeal is dramatized by actor Tony Shalhoub in a recent movie.—
Troy Roberts,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The chat room was on fire, because Magnus Carlsen had lost to the kid—Hans Niemann—and then implied that Hans had cheated.—
Ben Mezrich,
Vanity Fair,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The mountains themselves are too deformed to hold hydrocarbons.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
6 Mar. 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
-
Sudhir Srivastava, vice president of the Noida Entrepreneurs Association, said manufacturers were being squeezed from multiple directions.—
Mayu Saini,
Footwear News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Bottom line Private credit’s share of overall financing in the US economy has grown, and when that growth slows or stops, small businesses with few other options get squeezed.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
He was severely injured after being shot down in 1967 over North Vietnam and was tortured during his time as a prisoner of war.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
According to the Times coverage of the incident and subsequent lawsuit, the scenes shown in the classroom included autopsies, decaying cadavers and live animals being butchered, mutilated and tortured.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
During an interview with The Star on Friday, waiters hustled through the space with plates.—
Jenna Thompson
April 16,
Kansas City Star,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The crowd applauded when Rahm took the bag from Garcia and started carrying it himself as caddie Adam Hayes hustled to catch up to the players.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Caicedo made his first career start (and third appearance) and curled a low shot from the left side of the area that bounced off the far post in the 23rd minute and Müller headed home a cross played into the area by Sabbi in the 28th.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The line outside Leora curled around the block—slick ponytails and ALO Yoga sets.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Beaufort, North Carolina This fishing village with century-old homes, idyllic marinas, and pristine beaches could be plucked from a vintage postcard.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2026
-
With its cast of characters essentially plucked from Fugard’s early life in Port Elizabeth, the play introduces Hally (a stand-in for Fugard) at a crossroads.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screwed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwed. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
