1
as in fumbled
to make a mistake
we all screw up from time to time, so don't sweat it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of screwed up
That might be kind of screwed up.
—
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
That seems like our priorities are screwed up.
—Terry Gross, NPR, 19 Feb. 2026
Kid Rock‘s lip-synch was screwed up.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
The climate may get screwed up in new ways as scientists attempt to turn the planet’s temperature dial down.
—Christian Elliott, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
What Mager is showing here is the difference between kids and adults, the openness and willingness to be bold and confront things head on with matter-of-fact honesty in a world that is being screwed up by their elders and those in charge.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
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
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
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
That seems like our priorities are screwed up.
—Terry Gross, NPR, 19 Feb. 2026
Kid Rock‘s lip-synch was screwed up.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
The climate may get screwed up in new ways as scientists attempt to turn the planet’s temperature dial down.
—Christian Elliott, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
What Mager is showing here is the difference between kids and adults, the openness and willingness to be bold and confront things head on with matter-of-fact honesty in a world that is being screwed up by their elders and those in charge.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screwed up
Verb
-
And the counseling office fumbled it.—
Sharyn Alfonsi,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Cornell fumbled with Mercader’s clothing, trying to find them.—
Josh Ireland,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Big East acknowledged after the game the officials blew the calls.—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Anything before not worth thinking about since this was the performance that stuck with me, the one that blew me away and turned me into a jazz fiend.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The drunk boys urinated on the property, threw up in the backyard and stumbled and fell on the patio, the documents state.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The girls were found Monday evening by a dog walker who stumbled across the first body in the vicinity of East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue, near an all-boys public school called the Ginn Academy School, and called the police.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
What father would ever allow such devastation, assuring fellow patriarchs that their lives without sons would be ruined forever?—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
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Burd and Batalucco have essentially ruined their home by placing cameras everywhere so Friends Keep Secrets can always be capturing whoever is wherever.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There’s Championship action on Monday, when Middlesbrough travel to Sheffield United knowing a win will lift them to the top of the table, after Coventry City slipped up again on Saturday.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
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
-
Karaban almost had a costly turnover on an inbound play with 14 seconds left, but the Huskies fouled up three and Mulready split his free throw attempts, setting up the game-clinching freebies from the Huskies’ captain.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Jokic confronted Dort after getting tripped in the backcourt, leading to a heated shoving match.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Early last year, Brown’s wife—the former Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Connie Schultz—tripped over a clothes basket and broke her shoulder.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Well, the first and third mucked up their stories with some overly contrived lore about cults and gods, and the fourth was an experiment for the formula that didn’t quite work.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
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Lawmakers need to get back to Washington to end the government shutdown - a shutdown that has mucked up travel plans around the country by contributing to widespread flight delays.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Screwed up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screwed%20up. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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