1
as in fumbled
to make a mistake
we all screw up from time to time, so don't sweat it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in blew
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
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 up
How do things get so screwed up?
—
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Having obvious trouble is Lesley, who put a layer of shortbread under her flapjack, which screwed up the cooking time, which screwed up the decorating time, which left Lesley, well, screwed.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2025
Having obvious trouble is Lesley, who put a layer of shortbread under her flapjack, which screwed up the cooking time, which screwed up the decorating time, which left Lesley, well, screwed.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwed up
Verb
-
Last year, Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor celebrated prematurely and fumbled the ball through the back of the end zone on what was going to be a 41-yard TD run.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Slightly concerning given that Mims has already fumbled one punt this season.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Apparently, Grier forgot his own words, because the lines that the Dolphins have built are collectively their worst this decade, something evident in a crushing 27-24 loss to Carolina, a game in which Miami blew a 17-0 lead.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Whalen described one recent encounter where a homeless person blew fentanyl smoke in his face.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Except, of course, for that old dinosaur that somehow stumbled into a misplaced DeLorean, fired up the flux capacitor, and time travelled from the stone ages straight to the Uli beach.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Determined to keep searching, Hollie eventually stumbled on a TLC episode featuring a boy named Gio, who also had Schwartz-Jampel Syndrome.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
All the problems getting into the ground ruined the trip a bit.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
In 1950s Washington, the moral entrepreneurs were members of Congress and expert witnesses who labeled people Soviet collaborators and ruined many of their lives.—
Ron Barrett,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Even the Chargers special teams had slipped up, as returner Derius Davis fumbled a kickoff return in the third quarter that led directly to 3 Broncos points.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 2025
-
And while Conrad was the one who slipped up at the peach orchard in Episode 5, Belly’s the one to blame in Seadon 3, Episode 6.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Georges Mikautadze tripped before getting back on his feet to score Villarreal’s 18th-minute opener from a Nicolas Pepe assist.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
In the Cowboys’ lone OT possession, inside the Packers’ 5-yard line, Dak was feeling some pressure, and running when he was barely tripped from behind by his old teammate to return to the original line of scrimmage.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Also dubbed Prime Big Deal Days, the mega-store announced that the event will take place on October 7 and 8.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The Quarter is what is dubbed, in the UK, a ‘mixed-use neighborhood’.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Just one day before conservative activist Charlie Kirk was murdered, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression published their annual survey of campus free speech scores.—
Angele Latham,
Nashville Tennessean,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The drama follows Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) as a detective called in to investigate the 1987 massacre of four scientists brutally murdered in inexplicable ways, with a lone survivor the obvious suspect.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Screwed up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwed%20up. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share